GIRDWOOD, Alaska – Unstable snow in the Chugach Mountains prevented a recovery team standing by to search for three Minnesota skiers trapped in avalanche. Caught in the avalanche were Dave Linder, 39; Charles Eppard, 39; and Jeremy Leif, 38. They were buddies from high school in Mankato and later Gustavus Adolphus College in nearby St. Peter. There was no hope they survived, authorities said. It was the deadliest U.S. avalanche since 2023, when three climbers died in Washington’s Cascade Mountains. The Minnesotans had been flown eight miles into the Chugach Mountains from Girdwood. The area has no ski lifts but has regular heli-ski visitors. A guide went first and laid down a line for the four skiers in the group to follow and then waited downslope at a helicopter pickup point. The first skier in the group transited he slope and survived, as did the guide. The avalanche began about 3,500 feet elevation. Its path was a vertical 2,800 vertical feet. As the avalanche descended, witnesses saw the three men deploy inflatable vests meant to keep skiers above or near the surface. Other guides in the area called for help, and more helicopters arrived. The first rescue teams picked up signals from emergency beacons the men were wearing but the snow was too unstable do anything. The route is used regularly by heli-ski tour operators from the Girdwood airport. There had been an alert from Chugach National Forest rangers that the avalanche danger was “considerable.” A recent storm had dropped new snow on top of a weak under-layer. More snow after the accident worsened the instability and delayed recovery efforts.
Lifelong Mankato buddies. The Alaska heli-ski adventure was their latest. Here they’re on a deep-sea fishing trip. In the middle with glasses is Lindner, a partner in Mankato Radio as well as Sub Arctic Media, which owns 20 stations across Minnesota. The men had moved around with their careers — to Florida, Montana and elsewhere in Minnesota — but got together regularly for adventure vacations.
Girdwood heli-ski packages
Five-day packages start at $6,100 per person. A typical package includes a 40-mile van trip from the Anchorage airport. Skiing begins the next day after safety training. Most packages are at the luxury Alyeska Ski Resort with views to the sea. Skiers are issued an air-bag backpack, a pulse avalanche transceiver, a harness, a shovel, a probe, and a packed lunch.