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- Scott Wright, a Wyoming snowmobiler, was killed in a 200-foot long Weber County avalanche last week.
- The avalanche danger was forecasted as "considerable" the day he was snowmobiling, a report says.
- Rescue efforts took over three hours; Wright was found deceased from his injuries.
HUNTSVILLE, Weber County — The Utah Avalanche Center in a new report said the avalanche danger was "considerable" on the day a snowmobiler from Wyoming was killed in a Weber County avalanche earlier this month.
Scott Wright, 37, of Evanston, Wyoming, and Warren Ethridge were snowmobiling on Feb. 3 near the Woodruff trailhead and headed toward the Monte Cristo area. Wright had previously snowmobiled in the region, but it was Ethridge's first time, a report from the Utah Avalanche Center said.
At Beer Hill, Ethridge went up a slope, then descended as Wright started riding up the hill. Near the top of the hill, Wright turned left, and an avalanche swept him up.
Wright was carried by the slide then completely buried in deep snow. Ethridge called 911 for help as he didn't have the equipment to rescue his friend, the avalanche center said.
Search and rescue crews from Rich, Cache and Weber counties responded to the scene. A medical helicopter provided Ethridge with a rescue pack, but he was unable to locate a beacon signal from Wright, the report said.
A rescue dog alerted crews to a spot 10 feet uphill from where Wright was buried. The crews searched with "grid-based probe lines" and noticed the smell of gasoline, which led them to locate his snowmobile, the report said.
About three and a half hours after crews were called to the scene, Wright was located between the snowmobile and a large fir tree and dug out from the snow. He died from his injuries.
The avalanche, which occurred near the Rich County and Cache County lines, was about 200 feet long and almost 400 feet wide, the avalanche report says. The region "experienced a dynamic weather pattern marked by heavy, wet snowfall, strong winds, and warming temperatures" in the four days leading up to the slide, and the avalanche forecast that day was "considerable."
"This was a hard wind slab, with large chunks of debris remaining intact in the debris field," the Utah Avalanche Center said.
Wright's brother Trevor Harmon said he and Wright practically grew up on snowmobiles and frequently spent time in the backcountry.
"He's always been hell-bent on those things," Harmon said, "ever since he was old enough to grab a whole handful of throttle."
Harmon said it's been heartwarming seeing how many people have been reaching out to share their condolences. A fundraiser* was created for Wright's funeral expenses and caring for his daughter.
"He's affected a lot of people's lives in positive ways — more than I knew of," Harmon said. "He's just one of those dudes that's cool to be around."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
