Photo: Gallatin County Sheriff's Office
(Gallatin County, Montana) -- An Iowa man is killed in an avalanche in Montana.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer says 30 year old Bradie Becker, of Algona, Iowa, was killed in a West Yellowstone avalanche on Sunday. Investigators say just before 5:00 Sunday evening, West Yellowstone Police Dispatch Center received a call for an injured snowmobiler, later identified as Becker. The sheriff's office says initial reports indicated that Becker was unresponsive and members of the group he was in were performing CPR.
Investigators say Becker died of asphyxiation after being buried in the avalanche debris. Becker had been separated from the group of snowmobilers at the time of the avalanche and when located resuscitation efforts were attempted for an hour, but were unsuccessful. Investigators say Becker was wearing an avalanche airbag that had been deployed and a helmet.