Jeremy Leif is believed to be dead after he and two others were buried beneath at least 40 feet of snow in a Tuesday avalanche near the resort town of Girdwood.

It appears to be the first fatal avalanche this winter in Alaska and the country's deadliest since an avalanche in Washington's Cascade Mountains killed three climbers in 2023.

Alaska State Troopers say three skiers who had flown by helicopter to a remote mountain range were swept away by an avalanche and likely killed under the weight of snow nearly as deep as a 10-story building.