Bend Authorities said Tuesday that two backcountry skiers had been killed by an avalanche in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains.
According to a statement from the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, two bodies were found by their search and rescue team in Happy Valley, close to Broken Top Peak, west of Bend.
According to a social media post from the Central Oregon Avalanche Center, the pair was skiing on a south-facing slope when an avalanche occurred Monday at 6,700 feet.
“Our sincere sympathies go out to everyone who loved the couple who tragically died while doing what they loved,” the post read. They have impacted many lives as longtime Central Oregon residents, and our community will carry on their legacy.
The identities of the two victims have not yet been made public.
The sheriff’s office reported earlier Tuesday that it had reacted overnight to reports of individuals in the region who may have been buried in an avalanche.
On a scale of 0 to 5, the Avalanche Center forecasts that the Central Cascades are currently at a significant risk of avalanche, with a rating of 3.
The Associated Press
