Ryan Barr, 46, of San Diego was buried in an avalanche and died while on a guided skiing tour with Park City Powder Cats along with over a dozen other skiers.
Park City Powder Cats caters to those looking to get away from lift-served resort terrain. It offers guided tours on thousands of acres of private land in the Uinta Mountains.
Barr and another skier were buried shortly before 3:30 p.m. March 9. Powder Cats staff used transceivers to find and pull both from the snow. One skier was flown to the hospital with minor injuries. Staff and air medics were not able to resuscitate Barr.
According to the Utah Avalanche Center, the avalanche was 400 feet wide and four feet deep. The UAC said avalanche danger was “moderate” on that day.
An initial incident report from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office shows deputies who first responded called search and rescue crews because the avalanche occurred five miles into the backcountry from Weber Canyon Road and snowmobile travel was required.
"We at Park City Powder Cats are all deeply saddened by this terrible tragedy," the company said in a statement.
"Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to their friends and family. It is impossible to put into words the sorrow that we feel and the grief that is shared by the entirety of our Powder Cat family.
"In our 29 years of operation this is the first tragedy we’ve experienced of this magnitude. We consider every one of our guests to be family and will continue to put our primary focus on the safety and well-being of our guests and staff."
