Two skiers killed and one rescued after Utah avalanche

Two men aged 23 and 32 killed, while one skier managed to dig out and was taken to hospital by rescuers

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter carries rescuers from Hidden Valley Park on 9 May 2024 in Sandy, Utah (AP)

Two skiers were killed and one rescued after an avalanche in the mountains outside Salt Lake City in Utah, officials say.

A rescue team responded on Thursday morning to the avalanche near Lone Peak in the Wasatch Range, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.

One of the skiers caught up in the avalanche was able to dig out and was rescued and taken to hospital.

A rescue team in a helicopter were able to confirm that two skiers, aged 23 and 32, had been killed. Officials have not released their names.

The sheriff said that the conditions on the mountain were not safe enough to attempt a recovery of the bodies on Thursday, and that if the weather improves another attempt will be made on Friday morning.

He added that the skier who was recovered is believed to have raised the alarm and that investigators were speaking with him at the hospital to get more details on what happened to the men.

.Several agencies, including the Unified Fire Authority, Draper Fire, Sandy Fire, the National Forest Service and the Unified Police Department of Salt Lake, were all involved in the operation.

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the rescued skier walked to an ambulance after being airlifted from the mountain and the vehicle left without emergency lights or sirens.

Around two feet of snow is reported to have fallen in the area in recent weeks, but it is not clear what the covering was like on Lone Peak.

The town of Alta, Utah, sits below Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon 9 May 2024 (AP)

Most avalanches happen between December and April, but they can happen at any time of year, including during the spring when melting snow can cause issues.

In March 2024, 14 people were caught in avalanches in Utah, according to the Utah Avalanche Center.

The Lone Peak wilderness area is in the Wasatch Range, southeast of Salt Lake City. It is popular with hikers and skiers alike, with the United States Forest Service describing some of the terrain as “very rugged”.