Montana Avalanche Triggered By Trespassing Snowboarder Kills One

A Montana avalanche buried a home and trapped three people. Now reports are claiming a snowboarder might be responsible.

In a related report by The Inquisitr, it’s said that Colorado avalanches are the deadliest in the United States. Experts say that those having fun in the snow should be aware of their surroundings, looks for signs of instability, and take classes so they can be prepared in the event they’re caught up in an avalanche.

Steve Karkanen, director of the Missoula-based West Central Montana Avalanche Center, says the avalanche was estimated to be about 1,800 feet long and 300 feet wide, but as it traveled down the 35-degree slope at 180 mph it picked up energy by being funneled through a gully. When the Montana avalanche swept down into a neighborhood it crushed a house at the foot of the mountain, literally pulling the home off of its foundation.

Three people were trapped inside and 100 neighbors plus 20 members of a professional response team descended upon the destruction to mount a rescue effort. Fred Allendorf and his wife, Michel Colville, were buried along with an eight-year-old boy named Phoenix Scoles-Coburn. Fortunately, the child was rescued early on since he was playing outside the house. He’s said to be in fair condition but the older couple were not so lucky. The wife passed away Monday morning while the husband is still said to be in serious condition at the hospital.

The police are investigating the Montana avalanche and it’s believed a snowboarder triggered it accidentally while having fun on Mount Jumbo. In fact, he was temporarily caught up in the deadly snow, and if he hadn’t escape he wouldn’t have survived. After the avalanche hit the house the snowboarder helped with the rescue effort and talked to police.

Unfortunately for the snowboarder, Mount Jumbo is closed off to people at this time of the year. But witnesses say he wasn’t trying to hide anything and was apparently unaware of the rules associated with the mountain. Even then, locals says the Montana avalanche was highly unusual, since it required a series of melting and freezing in order to create the conditions.