© GNFACThe avalanche crown was measured 4-11 inches deep and 75 feet wide.
The Gallatin County Coroner's Office on Tuesday identified Bradie Harold Becker, of Algona, Iowa, as the victim. Becker was separated from his riding group when the avalanche occurred.
According to the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center's staff, Becker was riding on a 45-degree slope when the snow broke 4 to 11 inches deep and a 75-foot-wide slide swept him downhill and against a tree, where his head was buried under a foot of snow.
The snowmobiler was wearing a helmet and avalanche airbag, which had been deployed. The bags are meant to quickly inflate and keep the wearer higher atop the snow as it moves.
The GNFAC staff estimated Becker may have been buried for 15 to 25 minutes before he was discovered. Attempts to revive him were attempted for an hour.
The slide occurred in the Lionhead Mountains on Ski Hill in Montana's Denny Creek area. Avalanche danger at the time of the incident was rated low.
The Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue in West Yellowstone responded to the emergency, one of several snowmobile incidents recently called in. On Monday, the team was dispatched to Tepee Creek Trail after a rider crashed into a tree injuring their shoulder and sustaining a possible concussion.
The crew used a specialized rescue sled to evacuate the victim to a nearby ambulance.
Becker is the third avalanche victim to die in Montana this winter. Two Minnesota man were killed in a slide in December near Cooke City. Nine people have died in avalanches so far this winter in the United States.
Source: Billings Gazette
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