Overview
- The avalanche struck a four-person snowmobile party near Longs Pass around 4 p.m. on Jan. 9 in northern Kittitas County.
- The victims were Paul Markoff, 38, of North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, of Snoqualmie Pass, whose bodies were transferred to the Kittitas County Coroner’s Office.
- Survivors Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie used a Garmin satellite device to call for help, and rescuers reached them by snowmobile that evening.
- One survivor was partially buried and suffered a non-debilitating knee injury while the other was not buried, according to the sheriff’s office and the Northwest Avalanche Center.
- Recovery was halted overnight due to hazards, and K9 teams with King County air support returned Saturday to locate and airlift the deceased and recover two snowmobiles and other belongings.