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The deaths of three skiers in an avalanche in Alaska in early March 2025 was the deadliest in the United States since 2023. The trio were swept away while skiing in the Chugach mountain range. Access to this remote region is undertaken by helicopter, and the unfortunate victims were taking part in what's known as "heli-skiing," where the skier reaches the top of a mountain by helicopter instead of via ski lift.
The tragedy highlights the hazards involved when indulging in this type of winter sport. But why exactly is heli-skiing so dangerous? Click through for an explanation.
In early March 2025, three skiers were swept away by a huge avalanche in Alaska's Chugach Mountains.
The trade-off when skiing on pristine ungroomed slopes, however, is heightened avalanche risk.
The fatal landslide occurred in the Chugach National Forest near the resort town of Girdwood.
Heli-skiing as a more adventurous variant of skiing is becoming increasingly popular among skiers and snowboarders. But it's not without its risks.
The tragedy illustrates the fact that even the most professional and safety-conscious of heli-skiing operations can fall foul to an avalanche.
The Chugach range is remote and the three men were flown in by helicopter as part of a commercially guided trip, according to the Alaska State Troopers.
Heli-skiing took off in the late 1950s when helicopters were used in Alaska and Europe to access remote terrain.
Heli-skiing is off-trail downhill skiing or snowboarding where the skier reaches the top of the mountain by helicopter, instead of via ski lift.
Besides running the risk of an avalanche, heli-skiers need to be aware of other dangers.
The fact that it's undertaken in uncontrolled backcountry in rarely patrolled wilderness appeals to exponents of extreme winter sports.
The terrain itself can also be dangerous. Hazards include tree wells, hidden crevasses, unmarked cliff bands, and unidentified creeks.
The activity quickly became popular in Canada, where heli-skiing was first commercialized.
The biggest growth in heli-skiing was in the 1970s and '80s, when operations sprang up in North America and across the European Alps.
Heli-skiing operations conform to very high standards of safety. The industry is regulated through organizations such as the Heli-Ski U.S. Association, which follows a set of heli-skiing safety and operating guidelines.
Successfully enjoying the use of a heli-skiing operation is obviously dependent on the skill of the pilot and air worthiness of the helicopter.
Heli-skiers should never hit the slopes alone. Venturing out in groups is always recommended, as is using the services of a qualified guide with expert knowledge of the area who has already tested the snowpack to make sure it's safe.
These operating procedures include measures to share avalanche forecasting information and implementation of avalanche risk reduction strategies. But accidents do still happen.
The guides with the three skiers who died were able to locate signals from avalanche beacons, with the lowest signal coming around 45 feet (14 meters) deep.
The more remote the mountains, the less likelihood of potential ski runs undergoing controlled blasting to minimize the risk of a landslide.
People caught in an avalanche can succumb to suffocation, trauma, and/or hypothermia. Often it's a combination of all three. Pictured is a individual taking part in an avalanche search and rescue training session.
A high percentage of deaths, however, are a result of asphyxiation, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Therefore, most victims are alive in the post-avalanche period and have the potential for live recovery. Pictured is an avalanche dog, rescuers, and trackers taking part in a search and rescue exercise.
Besides the Chugach range, Alaska's Tordrillo Mountains offer endless terrain options to keep skiers challenged.
Losing sight of your group and getting lost is another risk factor to take into consideration.
A common misconception is that a skier is obliged to jump off the helicopter while it is still airborne. Typically, however, the chopper has a predetermined drop-off location where it lands and allows all members to safely exit the machine.
In Canada's British Colombia province, Bella Coola, Mica, and Revelstoke rank among favorite heli-ski destinations.
Some countries have banned heli-skiing, including France and Germany. But there are several heli-ski hot spots around the world that still lure the more adventurous winter sports enthusiast.
In the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, helicopters can whisk skiers to the summits of dormant volcanoes.
The three skiers who died in Alaska were caught and buried on a run that the heli-operation they were using frequents. According to eye-witness reports, all three deployed their avalanche airbags once the slide began.
And in Europe, skiers can experience ungroomed runs near the summit of western Europe's second highest mountain, the Monte Rosa.
Sources: (Anchorage Daily News) (BBC) (CNN) (Alaska Public Media) (Associated Press) (Heli-Ski U.S. Association) (NIH)
An hour later, it was determined "the victims were clearly unrecoverable" given the guides' resources, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
Why is heli-skiing so dangerous?
Reaching the top of a mountain by helicopter instead of via ski lift
LIFESTYLE Winter sports
The deaths of three skiers in an avalanche in Alaska in early March 2025 was the deadliest in the United States since 2023. The trio were swept away while skiing in the Chugach mountain range. Access to this remote region is undertaken by helicopter, and the unfortunate victims were taking part in what's known as "heli-skiing," where the skier reaches the top of a mountain by helicopter instead of via ski lift.
The tragedy highlights the hazards involved when indulging in this type of winter sport. But why exactly is heli-skiing so dangerous? Click through for an explanation.