Avalanche in Washington State Kills Two

Two men died in an avalanche near Longs Pass in the Cascade Mountains; two others survived and were evacuated, and the bodies were recovered the following day.

An avalanche near Longs Pass in Washington's Cascade Mountains killed two men on Friday afternoon, local authorities said. The men were part of a group of four backcountry skiers. Heavy snow had fallen in the area the week before, according to the National Weather Service. Officials reported that two survivors were evacuated and the two bodies were recovered the following day. Known details: - The two men who died were identified as Paul Markoff, 38, and Erik Henne, 43, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Department said. - The incident occurred near Longs Pass, about 65 miles east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountains. - Two other members of the group, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie, survived; the Northwest Avalanche Center said one survivor had been partly buried and injured. - Authorities reported that the bodies were recovered on Saturday and that heavy snow—reported at 25 to 30 inches near Longs Pass—had fallen the prior week, according to the National Weather Service. Summary: The avalanche resulted in two deaths and two survivors were evacuated; authorities recovered the bodies the following day. Officials noted recent heavy snowfall in the area. Undetermined at this time.