Avalanche Fatality Yesterday On West Side Of Bridger Mountains
OFFICIAL & CONFIRMED details of yesterday's avalanche - A young man died Monday on the West side of the Bridger Mountains.
Gallatin County officials confirm 22 year old MSU student Caleb Acker died Monday afternoon after he triggered an avalanche on the West side of the Bridger Mountains.
Acker, originally from Missoula, was snowboarding with another man and a dog in the Truman Gulch area. The other man's name has not yet been released. The Truman area is the direct backside of Bridger Bowl.
At 1 P.M. yesterday, 911 received a call from Acker's partner. He told dispatch he was getting intermittent signal from Acker's avalanche transceiver. Gallatin County Search and Rescue and Bridger Bowl ski patrol responded to the call and were able to reach Acker within 35 minutes. Acker died from trauma sustained in the slide.
Avalanche danger had been rated as 'moderate' for the Bridger range, but high winds loaded northern and eastern slopes with snow, creating more dangerous areas. The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center will be investigating the scene today.