According to a report by the British Daily Mail on August 4, 25-year-old American skier Collin Backowski was caught in an avalanche while traversing Mount Hood in Oregon. A tunnel collapsed, burying him under 8 to 10 feet (approximately 2 to 3 meters) of ice. Rescue workers arrived to perform a rescue, but unfortunately, when they found him, he had already died.
Collin, from Colorado, was described by friends as helpful and a central figure in the group. On his company’s webpage, he said he loved everything about skiing and that nothing made him happier than skiing with friends at their favorite spots. At the time of the accident, there were five other people with him. Because Collin was 30 to 40 feet (approximately 9 to 12 meters) ahead of them, the other five were not injured. They also tried to rescue Collin, but were unable to break through the thick layer of ice. Grant Giller said that among the five, one was a professional skier like him, two were photographers, so they took many photos when the tunnel collapsed. These photos were very helpful to the rescuers.
Sergeant Pete Hughes of the Hood River Sheriff's Office said that due to the thickness of the ice, rescuers would use chainsaws for the rescue. An aircraft was also dispatched to the area for investigation. The accident occurred on the south side of the mountain at an altitude of 6,000 feet, and it is still unclear at what elevation the victim was buried.