16-year-old dies after being buried 10 feet deep in avalanche in Alaska, officials say
A 16-year-old boy died after he was caught in an avalanche in Alaska, officials said.
A group of people were riding snow machines, or snowmobiles, in Turnagain Pass on March 22, and the teen “triggered an avalanche and died after being buried,” Alaska state troopers said in a dispatch, citing witness reports.
The rider was buried about 10 feet deep, an official with the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center said in a YouTube video posted on March 23.
Other people riding in the area were able to dig him out within about an hour, “which was remarkable for how deep he was buried,” but he died, the official said.
The teen was identified as Tucker Challan from Soldotna, troopers said.
Challan’s death came about 2 ½ weeks after three heliskiers were swept up in a large avalanche March 4 in the Girdwood area. The men were believed to be buried between 40 and nearly 100 feet deep and were presumed dead, McClatchy News previously reported.
Rescuers couldn’t immediately get to the skiers, and troopers said in an update March 7 that recovery can’t safely happen until conditions improve.
Turnagain Pass is about 60 miles southeast from Anchorage.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM with the headline "16-year-old dies after being buried 10 feet deep in avalanche in Alaska, officials say."
.JPG)