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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — A backcountry skier killed in an avalanche between Big and Little Cottonwood canyons over the weekend has been identified.
Higinio Juan Gonzales, 59, of Salt Lake City, was skiing with a friend in the east bowl of Silver Fork Canyon on Saturday when they were caught in an avalanche approximately 2 feet deep and 150 feet wide.
Gonzales was killed. A second man, also in his 50s, suffered "significant leg injuries," according to the Utah Avalanche Center. He was rescued from the mountain and flown by medical helicopter to a local hospital.
Efforts to get Gonzales off the mountain were hampered by bad weather, and his body was retrieved Sunday morning. Crews from the Salt Lake County search and rescue team, Utah Department of Public Safety and Wasatch Backcountry Rescue assisted in the rescue and recovery operation.
