An avalanche in a mountainous area of ??Kittitas County, in central Washington state, left two men dead and two other survivors. The accident occurred amid heavy snowfall that has affected the region for the past week. The accident happened in a remote mountain area. The victims were identified as Paul Markoff, 38, a resident of North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, a resident of Snoqualmie Pass, the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office reported. They were snowmobiling near Longs Pass in the northern mountains of the county around 4:00 pm on Friday when they were caught in an avalanche, the cause of which is still unknown. Two companions survived. Markoff and Henne were not alone at the time of the incident. Two other people who were with them survived and managed to activate an emergency satellite device, which alerted the authorities. The distress signal mobilized the sheriff's office and volunteer search and rescue teams from Kittitas County, who traveled to the area using snowmobiles and specialized equipment for extreme winter conditions. Limited rescue due to dangerous conditions. According to a statement from the sheriff's office, the teams managed to rescue the two survivors that same night, but it was not possible to recover the victims' bodies due to the dangerous terrain and the risk of further avalanches. "Due to the dangerous conditions, a nighttime recovery operation for the deceased was not conducted," the authority stated. The search resumed on Saturday, when the teams returned to the area and airlifted the bodies to a search base, where they were placed in the custody of the County Medical Examiner's Office. Kittitas.

Snowmobiles and belongings recovered

During the operation, the personal belongings of the four men were also recovered, including two snowmobiles, the sheriff's office reported.

“The Sheriff's Office and the search and rescue teams express their condolences to the families and friends of the deceased,” the institution stated.

Heavy snowfall increases risk in the mountains

The accident occurred amidst heavy snowfall that has affected Washington state since the beginning of the week.According to the National Weather Service in Seattle, Mount Baker recorded 86 centimeters of snow, while Stevens Pass saw 63 centimeters. Weather officials warned that more snow is expected in the coming days, especially in the Olympic Mountains and the northern Cascade Range, along with rain that could cause flooding along the Skokomish River.