WHITE PASS, Wash. -UPDATE. MARCH. 5.-The snowmobiler who died in an avalanche near White Pass on March 1 has been identified.
According to the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, Michael Wayne Chandler, 59, of Moxee, died in the avalanche.
Original Coverage:
A snowmobiler was found dead on Sat., March 2 near White Pass after getting buried in an avalanche the day prior, according to a press release from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office.
YCSO says it received a call on Fri., March 1 at 11 a.m. from a snowmobiler saying that his friend was buried in an avalanche at the base of Darland Mountain.
Crews from Yakima County Search and Rescue reportedly could only make it halfway to the avalanche site due to heavy snow drifts on roadways and trails. The caller and his son reportedly pulled the man’s body out of the snow and moved safely out of the avalanche zone.
A snow grooming machine was made available for the SAR team at 3 a.m. the next morning. Crews reached the group on the mountain and recovered the body on Sat., March 2.
YCSO reminds snowmobilers and snow enthusiasts to search for avalanche forecasts online before going out into the wilderness, to tell people where you are going and to bring an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel.
CORRECTION: In an earlier push notification from NonStop Local, it was falsely reported that the snowmobiler was from Yakima. This is currently unknown.
