A season🐼ed avalanche forecaster was killed last week by an avalanche he triggered while backcountry skiing.
Nick Burks, 37, was hitting the chute on Gunsight Mountain near Oregon’s Anthony𒉰 Lakes Mountain Resort Wedn🌺esday when he triggered the deadly snowslide, .
Burks and his friend, who was uninjured in the incident, were both experienced backcountry skiers and wඣere carrying avalanche airbags and beacons.
Burks’ friend made it down the chute first, and watched helplessly as the aval🧔anche overtook him, the statement added.
The pal was then ab🀅le to use his transceiver to locate Burks near a tre༒e.
Onlookers at the ski lodge also saw the avalanche and contacted first responders. Thosℱe at the scene provided CPR, but Burks could not be saved.
At the time of his death, Burks worked as an avalanche forecaster for the Wallowa Avalanche Center in northeaster꧅n Oregon, .
He previously worked with the snow safety team at the Mt. Hood M🧜eadows ski area, the organization added.
“Our backcountry community is small and we understand the tremendous grief many are experiencing,” the .
A fuﷺll investigation into the inci꧂dent is forthcoming, the group added.
