Avalanche Incident

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Encampment man dies in avalanche

Casper Star-Tribune - Tuesday, January 13, 1998

CASPER -- An avalanche killed a Carbon County man Sunday afternoon after burying him and his snowmobile under two feet of snow west of Encampment.

Benjamin Frank Romios, 21, of Encampment was pronounced dead at a hospital Sunday evening after spending hours buried in snow, according to Carbon County Sheriff Jerry Colson.

Colson stated in a press release that Romios was snowmobiling in the Battle Lake area of the Sierra Madre Mountains about 2 p.m. Sunday with four other people.

Romios' snow machine got stuck on a hillside near Battle Lake when an avalanche, about 150 yards wide and a half-mile long, engulfed him and his machine, the sheriff stated.

He stated that one person left to seek help, while the other three members of the party began digging to try to find Romios.

Sheriff's deputies, members of search and rescue teams from Encampment and Saratoga and more than 30 other volunteers arrived on the scene and began probing for Romios, according to Colson.

Rescuers found him under about two feet of snow about 5:20 p.m. Sunday, Colson stated.

He stated that emergency workers started CPR on the victim, who then was rushed to Corbett Medical Center and pronounced dead a short time later.

Other Sources

Received via E-mail

Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 12:46:30 -0700br To: "Avalanche Center (CSAC)" br

Jim:

I spoke with the USFS snow ranger this morning. He and an Albany County Sheriff's Deputy were unable to get to the avalanche site yesterday (Wed 1/15) due to heavy snowfall. Indications seem to be of a group of snowmobilers high-marking in an area that was ripe for sliding. They were used to running sleds in this area, but this year's snow strata won't stand for it.