Police in Missoula, MT are investigating the cause of an avalanche that buried and destroyed two homes and buried three people Friday after an official with the local avalanche center said it was caused by a snowboarder.
Steve Karkanen from the West Central Montana Avalanche Center reported Saturday that “a large slab avalanche was triggered by a snowboarder near the top of Mount Jumbo yesterday afternoon.” Later that day, the City of Missoula Police Department said its detectives had conducted interviews in an investigative effort to determine if the avalanche was caused by human activity.
“At this time no determination has been made,” the police said in a press release. “Those efforts are continuing.
All three victims of the avalanche were found alive and transported to local hospitals. The report comes as avalanche season peaks through much of the Western United States and the backcountry ski industry bolsters its avalanche safety training and outreach efforts through retail clinics, events, fundraisers and movies.
