Snowboarder dies after avalanche buries him on Wyoming mountain, officials say

A Wyoming snowboarder was found dead after being buried in an avalanche, officials say.

Teton County Search and Rescue and the Wyoming Department of Transportation began a search and rescue effort Wednesday after a large avalanche hit Taylor Mountain, just west of Teton Pass, according to Search and Rescue.

“Teams from Teton County Search and Rescue and Wyoming Department of Transportation searched the avalanche path and debris pile on the south face of the 10,352-foot mountain,” Search and Rescue said in a news release.

Teams could not find a snowboarder who was last seen going down the mountain after the avalanche happened, according to the news release.

Officials searched using “avalanche beacons, a probe line of seven people and a drone,” but could not use a helicopter because of bad weather, the news release said.

On Thursday morning, 40 people and a team of search dogs began looking for the man again. At about 11:30 a.m., the man’s body was found and he was declared dead, according to the Jackson Hole News and Guide.

Officials said a rescue during the coronavirus pandemic “presented layers of complexity,” according to Jackson Hold Community radio. Rescuers had to maintain social distancing and take additional safety measures during the rescue.

Matt Hansen, communications director for Teton County Search and Rescue, told the news outlet that the team “has remained totally ready to respond to backcountry accidents” as coronavirus spreads.