Snowboarder Bode Merrill Hospitalized After Avalanche in Alaska

A 2014 X Games gold medalist, Bode Merrill, was hospitalized Thursday afternoon after getting buried in an avalanche near Haines.
According to Alaska State Troopers, Merrill, a 29-year-old Utah native, was snowboarding on Takhin Ridge, 30 miles west of Haines, with a local guiding company. He stepped out of a helicopter onto a snow overhang which broke before he could grab his gear. After sliding 600 feet, Merrill was caught in an avalanche that buried him under three feet of snow.

Witness say Merrill was breathing when crews uncovered him and pulled him out. He was transported to Haines Clinic before getting medevaced to Juneau. His injuries are “believed that his injuries are non-life threatening,” troopers said.

Merrill won a gold medal in the 2014 X Games “Real Snow” event.