Avalanche Tragedy in Washington State Claims Four Lives, Leaves Two Rescued
Tragedy struck in central Washington state on Friday when four men touring the backcountry near Longs Pass trail were caught in a devastating avalanche. The disaster claimed the lives of two victims, Paul Markoff and Erik Henne, while leaving their companions with harrowing ordeals.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie managed to send out a distress call via their Garmin satellite device, allowing rescuers to locate them. Fortunately for the duo, they were transported safely out of the affected area by snowmobiles in the same evening.
However, their fellow tourer fared poorly. The Northwest Avalanche Center confirmed that one of the remaining two victims was fully buried and killed by the avalanche. Unfortunately, due to hazardous conditions and the subsequent cessation of operations, responders resumed recovery efforts only after a full day.
The bodies of Paul Markoff, 38, from North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, from Snoqualmie Pass, were later recovered with the aid of K9s and air support. The victims' personal belongings, as well as two snowmobiles, were also found in the area.
In light of this tragedy, authorities extended their heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those lost, emphasizing their gratitude for the bravery displayed by Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie during their ordeal.
Tragedy struck in central Washington state on Friday when four men touring the backcountry near Longs Pass trail were caught in a devastating avalanche. The disaster claimed the lives of two victims, Paul Markoff and Erik Henne, while leaving their companions with harrowing ordeals.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie managed to send out a distress call via their Garmin satellite device, allowing rescuers to locate them. Fortunately for the duo, they were transported safely out of the affected area by snowmobiles in the same evening.
However, their fellow tourer fared poorly. The Northwest Avalanche Center confirmed that one of the remaining two victims was fully buried and killed by the avalanche. Unfortunately, due to hazardous conditions and the subsequent cessation of operations, responders resumed recovery efforts only after a full day.
The bodies of Paul Markoff, 38, from North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, from Snoqualmie Pass, were later recovered with the aid of K9s and air support. The victims' personal belongings, as well as two snowmobiles, were also found in the area.
In light of this tragedy, authorities extended their heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those lost, emphasizing their gratitude for the bravery displayed by Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie during their ordeal.
just heard about that avalanche incident in Washington state... feels like a really tough day for everyone involved 
my thoughts are with the families of Paul and Erik - can't imagine how devastating it must be to lose loved ones in such a way 
the fact that Ian and Patrick were able to send out a distress call and get rescued is just incredible 
they're total heroes! hope the authorities can find ways to improve avalanche safety measures so something like this never happens again 
The fact that they had a Garmin satellite device with them was literally a lifesaver tho! 
It's like, so cool how those two dudes Ian and Patrick managed to send out a distress call and got rescued in time. 
And I'm glad the authorities are giving credit where it's due - those two showed some serious bravery during that ordeal! 
The recovery efforts were super impressive too, especially with K9s and air support involved. 
My heart goes out to the families and friends of Paul and Erik - such a tragic loss 
. I mean, what's up with sending out a distress call being only possible because you had that fancy device on you? It's like, we get it, technology can be life-saving, but what about the people who don't have access to those things?! And now we're reading about two guys literally sent flying into an avalanche and their only hope is some satellite tracking device. It's just so...excessive 
. Can't they design something that's more universal?
. But for those who didn't make it, it's like they were just one minute away from safety... what even is that? 
the whole thing is so sad and I can only imagine how hard it must be on their families and friends. RIP Paul and Erik
! 2 yrs old is still too young for ppl 2 b dyin cuz of snow probs 
. two people out of four who went on the same hike ended up getting caught in an avalanche 
. you can never be that close to nature and have all these things happen at once. RIP Paul Markoff and Erik Henne, condolences to their families too 
. Guess you just never really appreciate the risks till something bad happens... anyway, glad those two dudes made it out alive 
. It's crazy how quickly things can go wrong in nature. I mean, we're lucky to have rescue teams like those snowmobile dudes who saved Patrick and Ian 
. i'm glad those who were rescued got help fast though, it's a miracle they made it out alive 
. still trying to process this tragedy, hoping the families can find some solace soon 
. And kudos to the responders who worked through the night and used air support/k9s to recover the bodies 
. It's just awful that the avalanche conditions were so bad that it delayed recovery efforts by a day 
. Can't imagine how tough this must be on their loved ones 
gotta respect the brave ones who managed to send out a distress call tho, they were literally fighting for their lives 
hope Ian & Patrick are doing okay now 
. And to be honest, I think more avalanche safety training would've been super helpful for them 
? Anyway, speaking of art, have you seen those Instagram challenges where people make these intricate sand sculptures? It's mind-blowing how much detail they can fit into a small space! I mean, I tried making one once, but it just ended up looking like a sad little mess 
. What's your favorite coffee spot or sand-sculpture inspiration platform?