Tucker Challan, a 16-year-old from Soldotna, Alaska, tragically died in an avalanche while snowmobiling in Turnagain Pass. This incident marks the fourth avalanche death in Alaska this month, significantly higher than the usual annual average of three. The avalanche was triggered by a weak layer of frost beneath the snow surface. Despite efforts to rescue Tucker within an hour, he succumbed to his injuries. The Avalanche Information Center continues to warn against the dangers of traveling in steep terrain and the misinterpretation of snowpack stability.
It's like a layer cake, Wendy Wagner, the center's director, said in a phone interview on Monday. It has been causing many avalanches.
The center reported, there was a weak layer of frost about two to three feet beneath the snow surface, which experts say can easily collapse and cause an avalanche.
Avalanches can reach speeds over 60 miles per hour. Snowmobile riders and skiers should not assume that the snowpack is stable because other people have crossed it.
A group of people who were riding snow machines dug Tucker out of the snow in about an hour, but he had died from his injuries.
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