MULLAN, Idaho — The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office called off a search and rescue mission for three people caught in an avalanche near Stevens Peak.
The sheriff’s office received a call from a spouse of one of the missing men who received an alert from a GPS device. They were able to establish communications with two of the individuals through the GPS texting device.
Two of the three men were found alive and were sent to the hospital for further treatment. One of the two men found was reported to have a broken arm.
As of Friday, the body of the third man caught in the avalanche has been recovered, according to KREM 2 News partner the Coeur d'Alene Press.
Shoshone County deputies were assisted by the United States Air Force, Kootenai County Sheriff’s, Silver Valley Search and Rescue and the Silver Mountain Ski Patrol.
The incident is a reminder of just how dangerous avalanches can be.
"It's a terrible tragedy what happened last night, we really feel for the family," Lookout Pass Marketing Director Matt Sawyer said.
Lookout Pass is less than an hour away from Stevens Peak, where the three men were caught in an avalanche last night. Sawyer says lookout pass isn't prone to avalanches. But in an area like Stevens Peak, that's not the case.
"Right now unfortunately, snowpack is a bit unstable," Sawyer said.
The Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center releases avalanche reports twice a week.
"I would just say that we're really reeling from the incident right now," education coordinator Jon Totten said.
Totten from the avalanche center says avalanches are a danger on any slope with an angle of at least 30 degrees.
"The reality is that if you're in steep mountains that are covered in snow, there is an avalanche risk. It's that simple," he said.
There are several things people can do to stay safe. Sawyer said it's important to track conditions before going out to an area that could be dangerous.
"As enthusiastic as you might be to see all this fresh snow, and really want to go out there and test your backcountry experience, you need knowledge," Sawyer said.
If people do decide to go out to areas that aren't well monitored, Sawyer says never go alone, have some type of GPS or beacon, and bring a shovel.
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