City of North Bend officials and staff were saddened to learn that local resident, Paul Markoff, and Snoqualmie Pass resident, Erik Henne, were killed in an avalanche in Kittitas County, near Longs Pass, on Friday, January 9.
“It is with a heavy heart that we extend our condolences to the Markoff and the Henne families, their friends, and our community at large,” said North Bend Mayor Mary Miller.
As shared by the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, two survivors, Ian Laing and Patrick Leslie, were able to send a distress call using a Garmin satellite device when the incident occurred. Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Kittitas County Search & Rescue (KCSR) volunteers responded.
Responders reached the remote area using snowmobiles and winter backcountry equipment and transported the two survivors out that evening. Due to hazardous conditions, a nighttime recovery operation for the deceased was not conducted.
On Saturday morning, January 10, teams returned with three trained avalanche search K9s. Because of the rugged, remote terrain, air support was requested. King County’s Guardian 2 helicopter assisted by airlifting the two deceased men to a search base, where they were placed in the care of the Kittitas County Coroner’s Office.
The ground team also recovered the men’s personal effects, including the two snowmobiles used by the party. Representatives of the Northwest Avalanche Center came to the scene to assist in analyzing the accident.
Resident Paul Markoff was a member of King County Explorer Search and Rescue (ESAR), a ground search and rescue resource in King County and the largest of nine member-units of the King County Search and Rescue Association.