Three American Heli-Skiers Die in Avalanche
Alaska State Troopers have identified the victims of the avalanche that took place on March 4
Three heli-skiers who lost their lives in an avalanche earlier this month have been identified. The three were skiing in Alaska’s Chugach National Forest on Tuesday, March 4, on a tour operated by Chugach Powder Guides when the slide happened.
The Alaska State Troopers have identified the three skiers as: David Linder, 39, of Florida; Charles Eppard, 39, of Montana; and Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota. Powder reported, “The Minnesota Star Tribune has identified David Linder as the owner of Sub Arctic Media, a company that owns more than 20 talk and radio shows across Minnesota. Charles Eppard, of Big Fork, Montana leaves behind his wife Brittany and their daughter Belen, according to a GoFundMe created to raise money for Eppard’s family. Jeremy Leif, according to his LinkedIn and Facebook pages, was the CEO of Leif Consulting Group, a company he founded in 2023.”
Teton Gravity Research noted that, “Witnesses report that all three skiers deployed their avalanche airbags, but the sheer size and power of the avalanche left them with no chance of survival.” The avalanche reportedly ran for nearly 3,000 vertical feet and it was half-a-mile wide. The victims were found under snow that ranged from 40 to 100 feet deep.
