Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office identifies victim in Silver Fork avalanche

A view of the East Bowl where an avalanche occurred on Feb. 8 claiming the life of Higinio Juan Gonzales, 59, of Salt Lake City. Photo: Salt Lake SAR (Clerico)

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON – On February 8, 2025, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office received reports of an avalanche in Silver Fork Canyon’s East Bowl involving two adult males.

The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team was quickly deployed. One individual was safely extracted from the mountain with non-life-threatening injuries and transported to a local hospital.

The other male was buried in the snow and succumbed to his injuries. The victim has been identified as Higinio Juan Gonzales, 59, of Salt Lake City.

The rescue and recovery was a coordinated response involving Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Wasatch Backcountry Rescue, Utah Division of Public Safety, and Powderbird.

A preliminary report published by the Utah Avalanche Center said the soft slab avalanche ran 2 feet deep and 150 feet wide on the East Bowl – a western aspect – at an elevation of 10,300 feet.

Avalanche forecaster, Drew Hardesty, said in his avalanche forecast on Feb. 11, that he was interviewing the survivor about the incident at the hospital, where the survivor was recovering after a surgery to repair his broken leg – an injury sustained in last week’s fatal avalanche.

UAC Forecaster Craig Gordon at Ecker Hill Middle School Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 6:30-8:00 PM for a State of the Snowpack presentation hosted by Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association — Reserve a spot HERE.

Utah has had four avalanche fatalities reported this winter.