Three Heliskiers Die in Avalanche in Alaska
6th March 2025
Last modified on March 10th, 2025
They were hit by a massive avalanche and were buried under 30m of snow. They have been named, but their bodies have not yet been recovered as further details are reported. UPDATED
The accident happened in the Chugach mountains about 40 miles east of Anchorage.
The three have been identified as Dave Linder, 39, of Florida; Charles Eppard, 39, of Montana, and Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota.
They were part of a commercially guided trip, according to Alaska State Troopers.
A fourth person in the group escaped.
The avalanche risk was judged as “considerable” at the time of the accident.
Further details are being reported on what happened.
According to a friend of the men it seems the guide went out first, selecting a line for others to follow.
The surviving skier then followed without incident.
The avalanche struck as the other three moved across to ski the slope.
They deployed their airbags, but to no avail due to the size of the avalanche.
“Many human triggered avalanches have occurred on this weak layer in the past week, and conditions remain dangerous,” said the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.
The center also issued a special bulletin at the weekend that warned of dangerous avalanche conditions in the mountains across a wide swath of Southcentral Alaska, noting recent snowfall on an unstable snowpack.
The authorities are monitoring the weather to see when it may be safe to attempt to recover the bodies.
Alaska State Troopers said the skiers had all come from other states to the mountain near Girdwood, close to Alaska’s largest resort, Alyeska.
The avalanche is estimated to have been about half a mile long, sliding about 2,000ft down the peak.
The rescue services have been able to locate a probable area where skiers were buried.
Four helicopters and eight guides provided immediate assistance with the search, according to Chugach Powder Guides.
The rescue was called off due to limited daylight and because storms were expected to bring more snow and wind, heightening the risk of another avalanche.
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