Two Lives Lost In Kittitas County Avalanche Tragedy
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) says two men were killed Friday at about 4pm in a backcountry avalanche. Paul Markoff, 38, of North Bend, WA, and Erik Henne, 43, of Snoqualmie Pass, died near Longs Pass in the mountains of northern Kittitas County.
The area is near The Enchantments outside of Leavenworth.
It's not clear what caused the avalanche. The victims were with two others who survived. The survivors were identified as Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie, hometown unknown.
The survivors sent a distress signal with a satellite device, picked up by the sheriff's office and Kittitas County Search and Rescue volunteers.
KCSO and volunteer search and rescue teams were able to reach the survivors Friday evening on snowmobiles, but the conditions delayed the recovery effort for the two victims who died.
On Saturday, Jan. 10th, KCSO sent in a recovery team with avalanche search K9s. The location was in a remote area, and King County’s Guardian 2 helicopter airlifted the two victims from the scene. Ground teams recovered the men’s personal effects, including their snowmobiles.
Representatives of the Northwest Avalanche Center are assisting in the investigation of the accident.
More From NewsRadio 560 KPQ
