SALT LAKE CITY — A man who died after being trapped in an avalanche Saturday in Big Cottonwood Canyon has been identified.
Kevin Williams, 57, and another man were caught in an avalanche near Butler Fork around 10 a.m. on Feb. 21.
Members of a backcountry skiing group who reported the avalanche were able to locate and pull both men out from the snow before first responders arrived, the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office said.
"The skiers on scene acted immediately and without hesitation in extremely challenging conditions," said Sheriff Rosie Rivera in a statement. "Their swift response gave both men every possible chance and allowed rescue teams to quickly reach the victims and evacuate them for advanced medical treatment."
Williams was taken to the hospital in critical condition and he later died. Officials did not indicate when the man died.
Rivera called the recent fatality a heartbreaking loss.
"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of Kevin Williams. We are keeping them in our thoughts during this incredibly difficult time," she said.
The second man, Joshua Lemon, 48, was also hospitalized in serious condition. He has since been released from the hospital.
Williams marks at least the third person to die as a result of Utah avalanches in under two weeks.
An 11-year-old Massachusetts girl died last Thursday in a backcountry avalanche near Brighton Ski Resort. A day prior to that in Wasatch County, a man was killed in an avalanche while riding a snowmobile with his son.
Forecasters of the Utah Avalanche Center warned that danger remains high in the mountain areas of Logan and the Uintas.
Avalanche danger was forecasted as considerable across northern and central Utah mountain areas, the center's website said Thursday.
