FRANKLYWNOW - UPDATE: 911 caller who reported avalanche and her friend are saf

Bryan Dunagan / KTVA 11

Bryan Dunagan / KTVA 11

Bryan Dunagan / KTVA 11

Bryan Dunagan / KTVA 11

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Last updated at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28

The Alaska Mountain Rescue Group says the woman who originally called 911 to report an avalanche is safe, as is her companion.

Alaska State Troopers were able to make contact with the 911 caller sometime after 5 p.m. She said she and her friend made it home without injury.

It was not immediately clear if either of them was involved in an avalanche. Tracking the cellphone used to call 911 showed they had been in the area of a recent avalanche identified by the group.

Original Story

Alaska State Troopers have responded to Flattop Mountain near Anchorage following a report of an avalanche.

Trooper Chambers told KTVA a woman called 911 reporting an avalanche along a ridge near the Glen Alps parking lot and that her friend had been swept up in the avalanche.

Troopers have set up in the parking lot and are preparing to search the area for signs of debris and the 911 caller, Chamber said.

The call made to 911 was only 18 seconds long and consisted only of “saw avalanche, saw friend fall off,” according to a trooper at the scene.

The Alaska Mountain Rescue Group (AMRG) and Anchorage police have also responded at the request of troopers, according to police spokeswoman Renee Oistad.

Soren Orley, with the AMRG, said the search teams had received a report of a person who may have gotten caught up in the avalanche, but had been unable to confirm the report.

“As soon as we locate the avalanche and have a pretty good idea that it’s safe to go in there, we’re gonna send dog teams and experienced searchers in there to be looking for that person,” he said.

The Anchorage Avalanche Center has issued an advisory that highlights what they called “dangerous avalanche conditions.”

“Avalanche danger has increased due to continued strong winds, combined with fresh snow in some areas,” the advisory said. “Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making essential. Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely. Small avalanches in many areas; or large avalanches in specific areas; or very large avalanches in isolated areas.”

The advisory noted that the danger of an avalanche occurring would peak “sometime tonight or early Monday morning,” with dangerous conditions to continue through Monday.

Read the full advisory here.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates. 

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