3 skiers missing after avalanche hits remote mountain range in Alaska

Three skiers were likely killed when an avalanche swept them away on a remote mountain range in Alaska, authorities said Wednesday.

The three adult skiers were flown by helicopter to the remote backcountry in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, a skiing community about 40 miles south of Anchorage, on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said. 

After the slide caught the skiers, guides from the heli-skiing company that the group was with immediately tried to find the three missing skiers, according to troopers.

The guides used avalanche beacons to identify an area where the skiers were likely buried under 40 to nearly 100 feet of snow. Troopers said the skiers were unable to be immediately recovered due to how deep they were buried.

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A chunk of ice floats past the Portage Glacier near Girdwood, Alaska, on June 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

While troopers have been unable to assess the site, spokesperson Austin McDaniel said they do not believe the three skiers survived the avalanche.

A sign on Alyeska Highway points to winter tourism businesses in Girdwood, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Troopers said that "considerable avalanche risk" and limited daylight prevented any recovery operations on Tuesday.

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The three victims, all men from out of state, were clients of Chugach Powder Guides, company spokesperson Tracey Knutson told The Associated Press. A fourth person in the group was not caught in the avalanche, she said.

The exterior of Chugach Powder Guides is shown March 5, 2025, in Girdwood, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Witnesses saw the men deploy their avalanche air bags — inflatable vests meant to keep avalanche victims above or near the surface, Knutson said, adding that guides on scene "immediately issued a rescue alert and initiated rescue response."

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So far this winter, avalanches have killed 15 people across the U.S. On Friday, three snowmobilers were caught in a slide that buried and killed one person and injured a second in Washington state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.