32-year-old skier killed in rare Nevada avalanche on Mummy Mountain
A Las Vegas man died Monday morning after he was caught in a rare Nevada avalanche while skiing, officials said.
Punan Zhou, 32, died in a backcountry avalanche in Mount Charleston, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department reported.
Mount Charleston is an unincorporated town surrounded by Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
Zhou was caught in the avalanche while skiing at 11,000-feet on the Mummy Spring Trail, police Lt. Matthew Marlow told reporters during a press conference.
The victim was with four other skiers when the avalanche began, Marlow said.
Each of the skiers in his group had a locator beacon, he said, which allowed the victim's friends to find him in the snow.
CPR was performed by the victim's friends for 30 minutes but he died on the mountain, Marlow said.
Rescuers ascended a mile up the mountain and brought Zhou's body down. The recovery took about three hours due to weather conditions and mountain terrain.
Mummy Mountain is the second highest peak of the Spring Mountains in Clark County
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Jonathan Stein, a spokesperson for the U.S. Forest Service said Zhou's injuries were caused by the rare avalanche.
Lee Canyon, located on a different portion of Mount Charleston, was closed on Tuesday "due to the significant amount of snow safety work and avalanche mitigation," according to a post on its Facebook page.
An average of 27 people have died in avalanches over the last 10 winters in the U.S., according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The deadliest winter season in recent memory was 2020-2021, when 37 people died.
Avalanche safety
Experts recommend avoiding slopes steeper than 30 degrees, and checking online for snowpack conditions and avalanche advisories.
Avalanches are caused by a trigger – and in 90% of incidents, the trigger is the victim – but new snow, wind and other events can trigger an avalanche as well, according to the National Weather Service.
It’s best practice to pack a shovel to help dig someone out of snow, and a transceiver to help locate someone or be located in the aftermath of an avalanche. A snow probe can also help find people trapped under snow.
Warning signs of an avalanche
According to the National Weather Service, these are the signs of a lurking avalanche:
- You see an avalanche happen or evidence of previous slides
- Cracks form in the snow around your feet or skis
- Ground feels hollow under you
- "Whumping" sound as you walk
- Heavy snowfall or rain in the past 24 hours
- Warming or rapidly increasing temperatures
- Visible surface patterns on the snow made by strong winds
Contributing: Orlando Mayorquin
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for Paste BN. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.