For the record: An earlier version of this article stated avalanche victims can asphyxiate from breathing in carbon monoxide. A month ago, four experienced skiers were killed and four others were injured when an avalanche pummeled a popular backcountry skiing area near Salt Lake City. “There’s an unfortunate but reasonable chance that we will exceed that record,” said Ethan Greene, the avalanche center’s director. Of those killed in avalanches in the U.S., Greene said 25% die from trauma and nearly 75% die from asphyxiation. Not long before the avalanche, he and Pearson were “very ambitious to ski big mountains and big lines.” But the tragedy reshaped his perspective.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 08, 2021 13:02 UTC