Two men snowmobiling killed in avalanche in Washington state

Two men were killed in an avalanche in Washington state while snowmobiling over the weekend, authorities said.

Paul Markoff, 38, of North Bend, and Erik Henne, 43, of Snoqualmie Pass, were enjoying the snow near Longs Pass in the mountains of northern Kittitas County Friday afternoon when the tragedy took place, the Kittitas County Sheriff wrote on Facebook.

The men were accompanied by two others who survived the avalanche.

The two survivors “were able to send a distress call using a Garmin satellite device,” prompting a response from the sheriff’s office and Kittitas County Search and Rescue volunteers.

“Responders reached the remote area using snowmobiles and winter backcountry equipment and transported the two survivors out that evening,” authorities added.

Due to hazardous conditions, authorities were not able to recover the two men’s bodies on Friday night.

Search teams that included specialized avalanche search K9s returned the Saturday morning and airlifted the two deceased men to a search base, where they were placed in the care of Kittitas County Coroner’s Office.

The team also recovered the deceased men’s belongings, including two snowmobiles they had been using, the sheriff’s office said.

“The Sheriff’s Office and KCSR extend condolences to the families and friends of those lost,” the sheriff’s office added.

Washington state has seen heavy snow since earlier this week, with the majority of the snowfall recorded on mountains, the National Weather Service in Seattle said.

The nearby Snoqualmie Pass had recorded 27 inches of snow, while Stevens Pass saw 25 inches, the National Weather Service said.