2 skiers killed, 1 rescued after Utah avalanche

Two skiers were killed and a third survived following an avalanche Thursday in the mountains outside of Salt Lake City that occurred after several days of spring snowstorms, authorities said.

The Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake confirmed to CBS News on Thursday afternoon that two of the skiers died in the avalanche and a third was rescued. 

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera had earlier reported that the rescued skier had dug himself out of the snow, was rescued by midday and taken to a hospital.

A rescue team in a helicopter flew over the area Thursday afternoon and confirmed the other two skiers were deceased, Rivera said. They are two men, ages 23 and 32. Their names have not been released, but their families have been notified, the sheriff said.

Conditions were not safe enough to allow for a recovery on Thursday, and crews planned to go out Friday morning, weather permitting, Rivera said.

Rivera said she believed the man who was rescued was the one who called for help. Officers were speaking with him at the hospital to get more information about what happened, the sheriff said.

The skiers hiked into the area Thursday morning, she said.

Craig Gordon with the Utah Avalanche Center said about 2.5 feet of heavy, wet snow fell in the area in the past three days.

The skiers would have had to have been very experienced to even be in the "very serious terrain," he said.

The deaths bring this winter's tally of avalanche deaths to 15, which is less than the average of about 30 people who are killed by avalanches in the U.S. every year. 

In:
• Avalanche
• Salt Lake City
• Utah