Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Searchers found the body of missing split boarder David Ethier in Millcreek Canyon.
- Ethier was buried by an avalanche, though his dog survived and was recovered.
- Officials emphasize the unstable snowpack and risks involved in backcountry operations.
MILLCREEK — The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office announced that searchers found the body of a split boarder who was reported missing after he didn't return from recreating on Sunday in Millcreek Canyon.
The agency said Tuesday afternoon the search is over, and rescue crews found the body of David Ethier, 38, of Canada.
Ethier had his dog with him Saturday when he was hit by an avalanche and swept under the snow, the sheriff's office said in a statement. Ethier's dog was spotted afterward and the dog was recovered alive Sunday.
Information from the dog's microchip matched reports of an overdue party in Millcreek Canyon. Officials found Ethier's car at the Porter Fork trailhead, and contact with his family indicated he was overdue.
Search and rescue crews started braving the snowy conditions in Millcreek Canyon Sunday evening looking for Ethier. The search was paused overnight and continued on Monday.
Officials said a "good Samaritan" in Upper Porter Fork performed a beacon search on an avalanche debris pile and found Ethier buried 3 feet down. Tuesday morning, Salt Lake County rescue crews conducted avalanche control work and were able to recover Ethier's body.
Ethier was found more than 2.5 miles off the main trailhead, and the conditions were "brutal" for searchers, Salt Lake County sheriff's deputy Arlan Bennett said
"This is a heartbreaking tragedy," Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in the statement. "Our hearts go out to the family as they grieve the loss of their loved one."
Snow totals from the weekend storm were not available for Millcreek Canyon, but areas in the nearby Big and Little Cottonwood canyons received over 2 feet of snow by Sunday evening, per the National Weather Service.
The Utah Avalanche Center had issued a warning of high avalanche danger across the Uinta Mountains, Wasatch Range, Bear River Range and the Wellsville Mountains at the time. Similar warnings were extended into early this week.
"While it is never our goal to criticize someone involved in an accident, this should serve as a stark reminder to how unstable the snowpack is in the Wasatch right now, and how many resources, time and risk to personnel a backcountry winter operation in these conditions require," Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue said on Facebook.
