SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah – The body of a skier who was buried in an avalanche on Saturday in the backcountry of Park City has been recovered.
Park City’s 57-year-old Kurt Damschroder was caught on the slide that was triggered by him and a friend while skiing in an area known as Square Top.
“As I understand it, he was buried in a meter and a half of snow and they managed to get him out of there around 11 am [Sunday] morning, “Lieutenant Andrew Wright said with the Summit County Sheriff’s office.
Summit County sheriff’s search and rescue team, as well as the Utah Department of Public Security, had to cancel recovery efforts Saturday night due to dangerous snow conditions.
“[Sunday] morning, our search and rescue team with the help of the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, they met again at 7 am, “said Wright.
In order to safely reach the site of the recovery effort, the teams had to carry out the avalanche mitigation that created additional slides.
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
Summit County Sheriff’s Office
“This included them taking some explosives from the DPS helicopter and throwing them into the area,” added Wright. “In fact, they triggered some slides.”
The Square Top area is located outside the boundaries of Park City Mountain Canyons Village.
“Over the years, this is an area known to be very deadly,” said Wright. “If someone enters the area and causes an avalanche, it is usually not a good result.”
Damschroder, an outdoor enthusiast and experienced skier, had all the appropriate field equipment.
“He had a headlight, a probe, a shovel, but since you know a lot of snow falls, you are at the mercy of the weight of that snow and the fast movement,” added Wright. “I understand that it took you down. Several hundred meters is what our investigators described.”
Damschroder was skiing in the area with a friend, who was able to pull him out about 15 minutes after the slide was triggered.
“He made rescue efforts for more than an hour until he finally had to leave the area for the sake of safety … of the risk,” said Wright.
“Our hearts and prayers are with Kurt’s girlfriend and family,” wrote the Summit County sheriff’s office on Sunday afternoon.
This is the second avalanche death in Utah in the 2020-21 winter season. Earlier this month, Kevin Jack Steuterman, 31, of Clinton, caught and buried while snowboarding in the Dutch Draw area, also close to Park City Mountain Canyons Village.
Wright encouraged people interested in skiing or snowboarding in remote areas to check the Utah Avalanche Center’s daily predictions before leaving.