Brighton, Utah • An avalanche occurred Saturday afternoon in Big Cottonwood Canyon, claiming the life of one skier and injuring another.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the slide happened around 12:45 p.m. in the Cardiff Fork/Silver Fork area.

A search and rescue team responded to the area, and officials said around 2:30 p.m. that the injured skier was being brought down from the mountain where it occurred.

Around 3 p.m., a helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety landed on the road in the canyon. Both directions of the highway (SR-190) were at a standstill as of 3:30. Officials said the helicopter was used to bring the deceased victim’s body down from the mountain.

The deceased victim, identified as 59-year-old Higinio Juan Gonzalez, and the injured victim, also in his 50s, were together when the avalanche occurred.

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