46-year-old skier dies in avalanche on dormant volcano, Oregon officials say

An avalanche at Black Crater, a dormant volcano, killed a 46-year-old skier, Oregon officials reported.

Aaron Griffith of Bend was skiing with a companion at the caldera Thursday, March 2, when an avalanche swept him away, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Black Crater is a “steep-sided shield volcano in the Cascade Range, located north of the Three Sisters and east of McKenzie Pass,” the sheriff’s office said.

Both skiers were fully equipped with beacons and emergency kits, the release said. The remaining skier called 911 and found Griffith but he had died of his injuries.

Rescue crews could not initially retrieve his body because of extreme avalanche danger, the release said.

Fourteen people have died in avalanches in the United States in the 2022-23 season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

What to know about avalanches

Avalanches happen quickly and catch people by surprise. They can move between 60 and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to experts.

Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope.

In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions are right, National Geographic reported.

People heading into snow should always check the local avalanche forecast at Avalanche.org, officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, and have an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel ready.

“Emergency services are usually too far away from the scene of an avalanche, and time is important,” Simon Trautman, a national avalanche specialist, said. “A person trapped under the snow may not have more than 20 or 30 minutes. So, in a backcountry scenario, you are your own rescue party.”

If an avalanche breaks out, it’s best to move diagonal to the avalanche to an edge, Trautman said.

“Try to orient your feet downhill so that your lower body, not your head, takes most of the impact,” officials said. “You may also get into a tight ball as another way to protect your head.”