Under an Avalanche

Tell Me What Happened

Bob Tillotson knew the avalanche danger was high when he set out with friends into the Utah backcountry on his snowmobile. But he also knew which areas to avoid. Or so he thought. On January 13, 2024, an avalanche hit Bob without warning, carrying him down the mountain in a wave of snow. When he stopped, he was completely buried and separated from his group.

Dustin Sweeten was snowmobiling with a separate crew that day. Just before he was ready to head home, he saw what looked like an avalanche in the distance and went to go check it out. When he got there, he saw two people from Bob’s group. They told him their friend was buried. Then they saw a glove poking out of the snow. 

We also speak with Sandra Riches, the executive director of British Columbia AdventureSmart, about outdoor winter safety and what to do if you or someone you’re with is in an avalanche.

For a limited time, OnStar is offering a special promotion for eligible Tell Me What Happened listeners with an OnStar equipped vehicle – 20% off a new annual plan. To get activated, call us at 1-888-466-7827 or push the blue OnStar button in your vehicle to speak to an advisor and be sure to give them the promo code OnStarPodcast. Terms and conditions apply, offer excludes data plans. Please visit onstar.com or speak to an advisor for service details and information about plans and pricing.

Video credit: Ammon Sweeten / YouTube @MountainWolf-ut.

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