Utah Forecaster Killed In Avalanche After Setting Off Explosion

Craig Patterson, a Utah forecaster was killed in an avalanche on Thursday. The experienced backcountry skier was surveying terrain to calculate avalanche danger in the Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The 38-year-old forecaster was part of a team with the Utah Department of Transit, which routinely set off explosions in the area to create avalanches. This was done usually in the early hours of the morning before area resorts opened in order to keep slides from endangering motorists on the canyon roads.

UDOT spokesman, Adam Carrillo told ABC News, "It's a big responsibility. They don't take it lightly, and a lot of times they end up going out on their own because there's a lot of terrain to cover."

Patterson's body was found Friday morning around 1am.

Details about Patterson's ordeal were not immediately released. Carrillo told ABC Patterson was able to deploy his air bag. "He did everything he needed to do," Carrillo said.

Patterson and the other members of his team were equipped with air bags in order to keep them afloat incase of an avalanche. It is likely that the forecaster was killed after being dragged by the air bag into tress or rocks.

The UDOT is looking into the forecaster's death as well and looking to see if they need to make any sort of policy change. Changes being discussed would include requiring avalanche forecaster's to work in pairs.

Avalanche forecasters know the risk they are taking for their work. ABC News reports that another forecaster was killed in December. The man died from injuries sustained after being buried in an avalanche.