Snowmobiler dies after group races to dig him out of Wyoming avalanche, sheriff says

A snowmobile rider died in an avalanche after others dug him out of snow on a Wyoming mountain range, officials say.

Greg Stanczak, 56, was in a group of riders on the Salt River Range in western Wyoming when the avalanche was triggered by a snowmobile Wednesday afternoon, according to the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office says members of the group freed themselves and rushed to dig out Stanczak, SVInews.com reported. But he died at the scene, the news outlet reported.

The incident remains under investigation, officials say.

The risk for “dangerous avalanche conditions” remained a concern in the area Thursday after nearly a week of snowfall, according to the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center.

“Riders and skiers could trigger unsurvivable slab avalanches 3 to 6 feet in depth as well as smaller wind slab avalanches and dangerous sluffs on steep avalanche terrain,” officials said. “Keep in mind, triggering a smaller slab could initiate the failure of a very large avalanche.”

Stanczak was from Ironwood, Michigan, East Idaho News reported.