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1 of 3 Bodies Recovered Months After Fatal Alaskan Avalanche

Originally posted on Powder | By Ian Greenwood | Last updated Oct 8, 2025 1:31 PM ET

The body of one of three men who went missing in an avalanche while heliskiing near Girdwood, Alaska, last ski season has been recovered, according to state officials.

Alaska State Troopers reported that the remains found last week on Friday, October 3, 2025, were caught in a log jam in the river flowing underneath the avalanche slide area.

The remains have been sent to the State Medical Examiner's Office for autopsy and positive ID, Troopers said. Officials will publicly release the name of the man who was found once his identity has been confirmed, but said that the next of kin has been notified.

Photo: Daniel H. Bailey/Getty Images

The fatal avalanche on March 4, 2025, took place in the west fork of the Twentymile drainage during a guided heliskiing trip with Chugach Powder Guides.

Helicopter skiing guides estimated that the three men were buried between 40 and almost 100 feet deep in the snow. Because of the burial depth, the guides were unable to recover the men at the time, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Three days later, on March 7, 2025, Alaska State Troopers said that due to the high risk of additional avalanches in the area where the men were buried, recovery efforts wouldn’t be possible until conditions improved.

“We know that this is not the solution that the loved ones of these men were looking for today; however, it is the safest path forward for everyone involved,” the Alaska State Troopers said that month. Officials also identified the men as David Linder, 39, of Florida, Charles Eppard, 39, of Montana, and Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota.

Alaska Public Media reported that there were multiple efforts to recover the men over the summer, but rugged terrain, including a steep ravine, presented an obstacle.

Volunteers with the Alaska Mountain Rescue Group and Girdwood Volunteer Fire Department assisted with Friday’s recovery, flying to the avalanche area aboard a Department of Public Safety Helicopter. Alaska State Troopers said search missions will continue to find the other two men by air and ground.

In the U.S., avalanches killed 22 people during the 2024-25 ski season, according to data gathered by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.