‘Local legend’ heli-skier guide swept off cliff in fatal avalanche, Alaska officials say

An avalanche swept a heli-skier guide 1,500 feet down a mountain and over a cliff to his death, Alaska officials reported.

Michael Hamilton, 46, of Valdez deployed his avalanche airbag system but died of his injuries following the 6 p.m. April 25 avalanche in the Chugach Mountains near Valdez, Alaska Wildlife Troopers reported. He was not buried by the snow.

Hamilton had been scouting for a ski run while serving as a guide to a heliski party, troopers said. Following the avalanche, the helicopter took him to Valdez, where he died.

“His passing has left a huge hole in the community, he will not be forgotten,” reported the Alaska Avalanche Information Center, which called Hamilton a “local Valdez legend.”

Hamilton triggered the avalanche on a storm slab on a glacier at an elevation of about 5,800 feet, the center said.

“He lived a magical life … roaring down mountains and rivers all over the World — Alaska, Argentina, Chile, Turkey,” a GoFundMe page established to pay Hamilton’s funeral expenses said. “He lived life on his own terms 100% of the time. He was real, authentic.”

This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 2:09 PM with the headline "‘Local legend’ heli-skier guide swept off cliff in fatal avalanche, Alaska officials say."