A family outing in Utah turned tragic after two boys, brothers, were buried in an avalanche on Friday.
KSL-TV reported three out of four children slid 30 feet down an steep embankment after the family, out snowmobiling, stopped to look at a creek below the West Fork of the Duchense road in the Mill Hollow area.
Two of the children, a 14-year-old and an eight-year-old boy were buried in about three feet of snow. The third child slid about half-way down the embankment, but was not buried.
The parents worked to dig out the boys, but heavy snow blocks made it difficult to locate the two boys.
The mother left the area to find cell phone service while the father continued to dig out the boys. After about 30 minutes, the father located the boys and he and the mother performed CPR on both boys until two AirMed helicopters and search and rescue teams arrived.
The boys were transported to Primary Children's Hospital where extensive efforts were made to revive them. However, both boys died from their injuries.
These latest deaths raises the death toll from avalanches in the United States up to six so far this winter season. Colorado and California are the other states that have reported two deaths each from avalanches.
Over the last 10 winters in the U.S., an average of 25 have people died in avalanches every year. Last winter season (2011-2012), 34 people died in avalanches.
Utah ranks as the third deadliest state for avalanches, while Colorado ranks number one, according to the website avalanche.org.
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