Jamie Pierre omkom i lavin
Jamie Pierre är död. Jamie omkom under söndagseftermiddagen i en lavinolycka i Snowbird, Utah.
Jamie Pierre omkom under söndagseftermiddagen i en lavinolycka i Snowbird, Utah. Enligt uppgifter så åkte Pierre snowboard i South Chute in Gad Valley tillsammans med en till åkare när lavinen gick.
Enligt uppgifter från Utah Avalanche Center, UAC, (läs rapporten i slutet av artikeln) ska Jamie ha triggat lavinen tidigt i sitt åk och drogs sen med över ett stenigt område innan han stannade. Han blev inte begravd i smömassorna men hittades död av lavinpatrullen.
Snowbird öppnar egentligen först nästa helg och på grund av det har inte någon lavinkontroll gjorts i området. Den senaste tidens snöstormar har gjort snötäcket ostabilt och bara under söndagen fick UAC in ett tiotal lavinvarningar.
Jamie Pierre var framförallt känd för att droppa gigantiska klippor och 2006 satte han världsrekord i klipphoppning då han droppade en 75 meters-klippa
Jamie Pierre blev 38 år gammal.
Fakta om lavinen från Utah Avalanche Center:
Accident & Rescue Summary:
Two men in their 30s left the closed Alta ski area with the intent to ride the well known terrain of Alta and Snowbird. Neither ski areas are open yet and have yet to conduct any avalanche control within their boundaries. We interviewed the victim’s ski partner. While neither had any rescue gear or formal avalanche training, they were both expert skiers and new the terrain well. They continued to Snowbird via Baldy and accessed the Peruvian Cirque to gain the Gad Valley. Rescue reports indicated that they had likely triggered another slab avalanche prior to the victim triggering the fatal one. The partner did not recall hearing any collapses or whumphs in the snowpack, however.
With the partner watching, the victim dropped into the slope, immediately triggereing the slide. He was carried hundreds of feet through steep rocky terrain and reportedly went over a small cliff band and came to a stop only partially buried. The partner called for a rescue, alerting both the Snowbird Ski Patrol and Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, who subsequently accessed and evacuated the victim.
This was in steep northwest facing terrain, terrain that no doubt held old rotten snow from October. The investigation will show more on Monday.
Weather & Avalanche History:
Collapsing of the snow pack occurred all week prior to the accident. There were two slab avalanches triggered early in the week and no less then 12 human triggered avalanches during the day of the accident. Over an inch of water weight was added to our weak pre existing snow, obviously too much weight for the snowpack to stay put with people on the steeper slopes.
