SNOWFALL

Avalanche in Alaska's Denali Park Kills National Park Service Employee

Eric Walter was a beloved member of the Alaska Regional Communications Center.

Eric Walter, a 32-year-old worker for the National Park Service, died Thursday after triggering an avalanche while skiing in Alaska’s Denali National Park and Preserve, officials said. Per a park press release, a witness saw Walter cause the snowslide around 1.p.m. Rangers responded to locate any potential victims, and found Walter’s body. He’s the first to be killed by an avalanche in the state this year. “Our thoughts are with Eric’s family in this challenging time,” Denali National Park and Preserve superintendent Brooke Merrell said in a statement. “We are also incredibly grateful for the professional and compassionate response of our Talkeetna mountaineering team.” Walter was a member of the Alaska Regional Communications Center, where he was known throughout the region for providing safety support and dispatch services across the state.