UPDATE: Local man killed in avalanche identified
Published at | Updated at
UPDATE:
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s office has identified the man killed in Tuesday’s avalanche as Troy Leishman, 47, of Idaho Falls.
The Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the Star Valley Search and Rescue, Swan Valley Fire and Idaho Falls EMS snd Bonneville County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue for their assistance as well as the friends and family of the victim who assisted in the recovery of the victim.
As a public reminder avalanche danger is high and will continue to get higher as the temperatures warm throughout the remainder of the snowmobile season.
ORIGINAL STORY:
SWAN VALLEY — A man died after being buried in an avalanche late Tuesday afternoon east of Palisades Reservoir.
He was snowmobiling with a group of friends when the avalanche was triggered shortly after 4 p.m., according to the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. The avalanche happened in the upper bowl of Sheep Creek about six miles from the trailhead.
The snowmobiler was located and freed from the slide, but did not survive.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and Bonneville County Search and Rescue responded to the area. The crew will be working through Tuesday night to bring the man’s body out of Sheep Creek, according to a news release.
The snowmobiler’s death is the latest in a series of fatal avalanches occurring in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming within the past six weeks.
On Saturday, Alexander Marra of Orem, Utah died near the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort after triggering an avalanche while skiing.
Montana man Raymond John Moe was killed Jan. 20 after being buried in an avalanche while snowmobiling east of Rayes Peak in Island Park.
Ammon native Adam Wayne Andersen died ten days earlier on Jan. 10 after an avalanche was triggered while he snowmobiled with friends in the Mt. Jefferson area of Island Park.
The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office is expected to release more information Wednesday on the latest avalanche.
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