Avalanches kill 2 snowmobilers in Washington and Idaho

Two snowmobilers are dead after separate avalanches in Idaho and Washington state, officials said.  Both fatalities occurred on Friday, March 1.

In Washington, two snowmobilers triggered an avalanche near Darland Mountain, which is part of the Cascade mountain range. One rider was fully buried in snow and did not survive, the Northwest Avalanche Center said in a news release. The center did not provide information about the other snowmobiler, but advised that anyone looking to visit the mountain exercise caution. The center said staff members were planning to visit the accident site on Saturday, but they have not posted any information about what was learned in that trip. 

The second fatality occurred on Friday afternoon, according to Boundary County Emergency Management. Boundary County is in Idaho, near the state's border with Washington. Officials said Lance J. Gidley, 54, was snowmobiling with a friend when they encountered an avalanche. The friend was "barely able to outrun the avalanche on his snowmobile," but "immediately returned" to search for Gidley once it was safe, officials said.