On Saturday, February 28, a rare full-depth avalanche swept down the Powder Line Course at Madarao Mountain Resort, catching five riders and injuring four, including a 14-year-old boy. Ski patrol, police, and fire teams reached everyone within about an hour.

The slide occurred around 2:05 p.m., in light rain and fog, with temperatures near 4°C (39°F). Resort officials noted that no obvious warning signs were present that morning, making this kind of inbounds avalanche extremely rare.

The injuries were serious but stable: the 14-year-old boy suffered a pelvic fracture, his father broke several ribs, and two other guests – in their 30s and 40s from Taiwan – had ankle injuries.

Eyewitness John Woods captured the event from a chairlift. “Top left corner of video you can see a person walking out of the avalanche,” he wrote on Facebook, sharing footage and photos showing the scale of the debris. Drone surveys measured the slide at roughly 600 meters long and 185 meters wide, with a debris width of about 320 meters.

Standing trees along the path suggest the slope released progressively, rather than all at once. Higher-than-normal temperatures in the days prior may have contributed to snowpack instability. In a statement, they said: “We will continue to strengthen our safety management systems and remain fully committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all guests”. Lifts 3 and 13 remain closed to guests indefinitely.

While full-depth avalanches like this are extremely rare, this one is a reminder that even inbounds runs can carry risk. Everyone involved is receiving care, and investigations into the slide are ongoing.