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1 dead, 5 others rescued from Seattle-area avalanche

ENUMCLAW, Wash. >> A man has died after he and five others were buried in an avalanche that hit a ski area near Seattle Saturday morning.

A 60-year-old man whose identity has not been released wasn’t breathing after being pulled out of the snow, KING-TV reported. He died despite CPR efforts by another skier.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Darren Moss said the avalanche was reported about 10:50 a.m. Saturday in the Silver Basin area of Crystal Mountain, which is located about 85 miles southeast of Seattle.

The group of skiers rescued themselves with the help of two witnesses who saw them get swept up by the snow in a backcountry area that is outside the grounds of the Crystal Mountain Resort.

All the skiers were wearing avalanche beacons.

Crystal Mountain had earlier in the day closed the Mt. Rainier Gondola because of winds reaching 100 miles per hour. Resort officials couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The area is under a winter storm warning until Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said 12 to 15 inches of snow is possible for areas above 2,000 feet.

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