Three experienced skiers were killed Sunday afternoon after being caught in an avalanche by Tunnel Creek Canyon, in an out-of-bounds area near Stevens Pass. A total of twelve skiers in three groups were swept away by the new snow. The skiers had safety devices–shovels, avalanche probes, and avalanche beacons–but the precautions still weren’t enough to save them all. CPR was started on the three men, Jim Jack, Chris Rudolph, and Johnny Brenan, but proved unsuccessful. One person survived by wrapping himself around a tree and holding on for dear life, while professional skier Elyse Saugstad was saved when she deployed an avalanche airbag, a backpack designed to keep her afloat in the snow. Next Media Animation has the computer-animated version of the disaster. As astutely pointed out by a YouTube commenter (usually a contradiction in terms), “The Next Media logo looks like an avalanche safety device.”

All in all, it was a bad weekend for outdoor activities, as a snowboarder was killed in a separate avalanche at Alpental and a scuba diver’s body was recovered near West Seattle Sunday night.