AP – An avalanche in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains in the United States (US) killed two backcountry skiers, authorities said.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that its search-and-rescue unit recovered two bodies west of Bend in Happy Valley, near Broken Top peak.
The couple had been skiing when an avalanche happened on Monday at 2,042 metres on a south-facing slope, the Central Oregon Avalanche Centre said in a social media post.
“We extend our deepest condolences to all who loved the couple who tragically lost their lives while doing what they loved,” the post said. “As longtime residents of Central Oregon, they have touched many lives, and their legacy will continue to live on in our community.”
The names of the two people killed have not yet been released.
Earlier, the sheriff’s office said it had responded overnight to reports of people possibly buried in an avalanche in the area.
Avalanche danger in the Central Cascades is currently “considerable,” a three on a scale of zero to five, according to the Avalanche Centre forecast.
