Central Oregon avalanche claims the lives of a couple

Officials have identified a married couple, Terance Olaf Skjersaa, 57, and Susan Renee Skjersaa, 52, from Bend, Oregon, who were killed in an avalanche in central Oregon. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of backcountry skiers buried in an avalanche in an area known as “Happy Valley.” The couple was reported missing by friends when they failed to return from their outing, and they were found buried in snow by friends late Monday night. Both were deceased when found, and it is believed the avalanche occurred several hours prior to their discovery. Search-and-rescue teams recovered the bodies and investigated the scene. Sheriff Kent van der Kamp expressed sadness over the loss and highlighted the couple’s impact on the community. The sheriff’s office warned of moderate to considerable avalanche danger in the Central Cascades area where the incident occurred and urged caution when recreating there. Bend, Oregon, is located about 140 miles east of Eugene, not west as previously stated in the article.

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