A Bigfork man is reported to be one of three individuals caught and buried in an avalanche estimated to be between 40-100 feet dep in Alaska. A Go Fund Me has been set up for his family.
From Alaska State Troopers:
The Alaska State Troopers have identified the three missing persons who were caught in the avalanche as:
- David Linder, 39 of Florida
- Charles Eppard 39, of Montana
- Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota
Troopers, avalanche, and recovery experts will attempt to conduct an aerial assessment of the slide area today to determine additional avalanche danger and recovery options.
UPDATE 3/5 4:25 pm: Due to poor weather conditions in the area that prevented helicopter flights, Troopers, avalanche experts, and recovery teams could not assess the slide area for avalanche safety considerations and recovery options today. Troopers are optimistic that weather conditions will improve on March 6th to allow for flights in the area.
ORIGINAL: On March 4, 2025, at 5:10 pm, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers were notified of an avalanche near the West Fork of 20 Mile River near Girdwood. A preliminary investigation determined three adult heliskiers were caught in a large avalanche around 3:30 pm. Guides from the commercial heliskiing operation that the group was with immediately attempted to locate the three skiers. Using avalanche beacons, the guides identified a probable area where skiers were buried between 40 feet and nearly 100 feet deep. The guides were unable to recover the three skiers due to the depth. Due to considerable avalanche risk in this area and limited daylight, no further recovery operations were conducted on March 4th. On March 5th, Troopers plan to assess the area to determine if recovery operations can safely be conducted.
