1999 — March 21, Avalanche, Turnagain Pass, Kenai Mts., Chugach Nat. Forest, AK– 6

–6  Fesler and Fredston. “Turnagain Pass Avalanche Accident Report, March 21, 1999

–6  Young, Maggie. “Avalanche Victim’s Mother Speaks Out.” YourAlaskaLink.com, 3-12-2012.

Narrative Information

Fesler and Fredston: “Synopsis: On Sunday, March 21, 1999 a slab avalanche ½ mile wide and up to 7½  feet deep was triggered by snowmachiners in Turnagain Pass, in the Kenai Mountains of Chugach National Forest. In all, 6 snowmobilers were killed, 3 injured, 1 was partly buried but uninjured, at least 5 others were dusted as they tried to escape, and 9 snow machines were destroyed or damaged. An unknown number of other snowmachiners (6-12, estimated) narrowly escaped. Immediately following the avalanche, witnesses in the area responded with shovels and probes to search for survivors. Organized rescue arrived within an hour but the scene was chaotic, with a large search area and an unknown number of victims. Two victims were dug out Sunday night while three others were found as part of a large search effort that took place March 22-24 (Monday-Wednesday). One victim has not been located to date. Special Note: Because of the size and complexity of this accident, and the difficulty in obtaining consistent information from a variety of sources, certain facts may be in error or missing completely.” (Fesler, Doug, and Jill Fredston. “Turnagain Pass Avalanche Accident Report, March 21, 1999.” Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Inc., May 5, 1999, p. 1.)

Sources

Fesler, Doug, and Jill Fredston. “Turnagain Pass Avalanche Accident Report, March 21, 1999.” Alaska Mountain Safety Center, Inc., May 5, 1999, 15 pages. Accessed 11-14-2015 at:

http://www.cnfaic.org/accidents/1999_RepeatOffender_PublicVersion.pdf

Young, Maggie. “Avalanche Victim’s Mother Speaks Out.” YourAlaskaLink.com, 3-12-2012. Accessed 12-13-2015 at: http://www.youralaskalink.com/Avalanche-Victims-Mother-Speaks-Out–142422995.html