A Wednesday avalanche in the mountains near Haines claimed the life of a Haines man, according to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers.
Haines resident David Dzenawagis, 34, was snowboarding with two skiers in the area of Takshanuk Mountain on Wednesday when an avalanche buried him, Troopers said. Dzenawagis was only under the snow for seven or eight minutes, according to the dispatch, as the two other skiers acted quickly and got him out of the snow.
The two skiers — 36-year-old Ted Cheney and 33-year-old Theodore Hart, both of Haines — attempted resuscitation and contacted the Haines Borough Police Department (HBPD), Troopers said. Haines Fire Department personnel arrived and pronounced Dzenawagis dead on scene, the dispatch states.
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Next of kin was notified and Dzenawagis’ body was taken to the HBPD morgue. His body will be sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, Troopers say.
The HBPD called Juneau-based Alaska State Troopers at 12:47 p.m. Wednesday to report the situation, and Haines-based Alaska Wildlife Troopers assisted in the investigation. The trailhead to the area where they were skiing and snowboarding is located at 7 mile Lutak Road, according to the dispatch.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
