Event narrative (NOAA)
Kenneth Hayes, 44, of Healy, Alaska was killed by an avalanche Friday afternoon. His body was recovered at about 10:30 am Saturday in the debris. Hayes was among 12 snowmachiners riding the "Big Notch in the Mountains" at Jack River Canyon, about 12 miles south of Cantwell, when a slide broke loose shortly before 4 pm.A total of five riders were caught in the avalanche. Four of them were dug out by other riders. Sophie Dickman, 37, of Two Rivers (near Fairbanks) suffered a broken leg. Ken Wench, 35, of Seattle, also suffered a leg injury.
Other notable avalanche events in Alaska
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.