San Francisco man dies, another injured in Montana avalanche

A 35-year-old California man has died in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in southwest Montana.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

BUTTE, Mont. - A 35-year-old California man has died in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in southwest Montana.

Madison County Sheriff Phil Fortner says another skier was injured when the avalanche occurred about 1 p.m. Friday in the Tobacco Root Mountains.

Fortner identified the man who died as Benjamin Hirsch-McShane, of San Francisco.

The Montana Standard reports that the skiers were part of a group of four men from Utah and California.

Alex Marienthal, of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center, says the skiers were reportedly ascending a slope in a heavily treed area when the avalanche occurred. Two were carried away while the other two were reportedly able to grab onto trees and were not hurt.

The injured skier, whose name wasn't released, was taken to a hospital in Billings.

___

Information from: The Montana Standard, http://www.mtstandard.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor