Man escapes injury in Cache County avalanche

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A snowmobiler appears to have been unscathed by an avalanche that buried him Tuesday afternoon in Cache County's Providence Canyon.

The man was unconscious at 4:15 p.m. when his friends unearthed him from about 2 feet of snow about 2 miles up the canyon, Cache County sheriff's officials said. By the time rescuers arrived, the man was conscious and appeared to be uninjured, said Lt. Mike Peterson.

"He's actually very lucky," Peterson said. Rescuers were driving him down the canyon as of 6:45 p.m.

The Utah Avalanche Center has warned that dangerous avalanche conditions exist in much of the state. Human-triggered avalanches are almost certain on steep slopes, the center warns.

On Sunday, 21-year-old Ashleigh Cox of Colorado Springs died after being caught in an avalanche in Utah while snowshoeing Saturday in Utah County.

In Sanpete County, 36-year-old Clint Conover died after being buried in a slide Sunday while snowmobiling.

ealberty@sltrib.com