Avalanche injures Chugach skiers

Three skiers were injured today in an avalanche in the Chugach Mountains south of Anchorage, state troopers said.

Preliminary reports are that the skiers were buried and recovered, and that none of their injuries are considered life threatening, troopers said.

In all, four skiers were caught in the avalanche, they said.

A rescue of the group is under way as of about 3 p.m. They are stuck above Summit Lake Lodge, which is at mile 45.8 of the Seward Highway, troopers said.

One of the skiers called 911 at 12:27 p.m. to report that he and three others were caught in an avalanche while skiing in the area behind the lodge.

The buried skiers were found relatively quickly, troopers said. Each skier had an avalanche beacon, troopers said.

As of about 3 p.m., two LifeMed helicopters were staging in the lodge parking lot, and the troopers' Helo 1, with four members of the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group, is staged on the lake, troopers said. Helo 1 has dropped survival gear to the skiers, and rescuers are in communication with them.

The Rescue Coordination Center is launching a helicopter with hoist ability to retrieve the four. Efforts are hampered by the high avalanche threat in the area, specifically on the ridge where the skiers are, troopers said.

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