Tragedy in Wyoming Backcountry: Utah Snowmobiler Killed in Deadly Avalanche

A 31-year-old Utah snowmobiler was killed Sunday after an avalanche was triggered in the Wyoming backcountry southeast of Afton.

According to the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, the man and another rider were traveling on a steep, ungroomed slope above LaBarge Creek when the avalanche released, burying him about two feet beneath the snow and under his snowmobile. The second rider was not injured.

The victim was later identified by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office as Nicholas Bringquist of Springville, Utah.

The avalanche occurred at approximately 8,800 feet of elevation in the Wyoming Mountain Range, an area known for avalanche hazards.

Bringquist was wearing an avalanche airbag backpack, which deployed during the slide but did not prevent burial. His riding partner was able to dig him out and perform CPR. Local dispatch received an emergency satellite message, and a helicopter was dispatched to the scene, but rescuers were unable to reach the victim in time.

The avalanche was rated a D2 on the avalanche center’s destructive scale, meaning it was large enough to bury or kill a person. Investigators believe it likely failed on a weak layer known as the “Christmas crust,” formed during unusually warm and rainy conditions over the holiday period.

The incident highlights the risks of human-triggered avalanches, even when danger ratings are listed as moderate.

Sunday’s incident marks the second avalanche-related death in Wyoming this season. A Jackson skier died in late December after being caught in an avalanche on the south side of Teton Pass. On average, Wyoming records about 1.8 avalanche-related fatalities each year.