Wyoming skiers were killed in two separate avalanches in the western part of the state. If winter sports are so dangerous, should they be legal?
Winter sports can always be a risk, as evidenced by what happened to X Games Snowmobile rider Caleb Moore, who suffered brain and heart injuries after crashing during a run in Aspen. The same issues can be brought up again after two skiers were killed in Wyoming in two separate avalanche incidents.
According to ABCNews.com, Elizabeth "Liza" Gray Benson, 28, of Jackson, died after being caught in a small slide west of Bondurant and hitting a tree, the Sublette County Sheriff's office said. Longtime Grand Teton National Park seasonal employee Nick Gillespie, 30, of Jackson, was also caught in an avalanche around 5 p.m. Sunday on the southeast face of Survey Peak and died of injuries from the slide, park officials said Monday.
According to the report, Benson was skiing with a group of other people, which included a doctor, near Cliff and Cabin creeks, according to the sheriff's office. The group tried to call for help, but it could not get there in time.
In the other incident, Gillespie, who had worked on Grand Teton National Park's trail crew the past six seasons, was with three other people who attempted resuscitate him, park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. The group then carried his body to a backcountry patrol cabin, where they spent the night.
Rangers couldn't fly into the remote area for a day after the avalanches came down and park officials said that avalanche danger was listed as low Sunday morning but was expected to rise to moderate in the afternoon between 9,000 and 10,500 feet, meaning human-triggered avalanches were possible.
Part of the reason for the avalanche could have been due to the dry, cold period in the Tetons over the weekend. Up to 18 inches of snow came down on Sunday on the west side of the range.
Winter sports are dangerous and that notion because a true reality over the weekend with the avalanche as well as the accident by Moore in Aspen.
Moore has won medals at the games and he developed complications in his heart and brain after suffering an accident Thursday night during the Snowmobile Freestyle finals. The crash occurred when Moore was attempting to pull a backflip and came up short, making the vehicle flip over on top of him as he went over the handlebars.
Video showed Moore on the snow for a few minutes on the ground before he was able to get up and off the track. He was rushed to Aspen Valley Hospital with a concussion, according to an X Games Medical report. While there, doctors discovered bleeding around Moore's heart and he was flown to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo.
Moore had to go through heart surgery on Friday and has been in intensive care. Moore family released a statement through ABC's sister network ESPN saying, "his cardiac injury has led to a secondary complication involving his brain."
The Moore family released a statement to ABC News through family spokeswoman Chelsea Lawson saying, "Caleb is in critical condition and is being closely monitored. The Moore's want to express their gratitude to all of Caleb's fans, friends and family for their strong support and ask for continued prayers in the coming days."
The X Games will continue later in the year from Tignes, France from March 20 to the March 22. HERE is a full list of results and tricks from the Aspen events.
