A 21-year-old Washington state man was killed when his snowmobile triggered an avalanche in Montana over the weekend.
Wyatt Coiteux of La Center, Washington, was killed on New Year’s Eve while snowmobiling with his 17-year-old brother on Crown Butte in Cooke City, Montana.
Coiteux had scaled a slope and triggered the avalanche, carrying it 600 meters in altitude before being buried under five feet of snow.
“We are devastated by the death of our beloved son Wyatt Coiteux while snowmobiling yesterday. He went out on cloud nine and did what he loved,” his parents wrote on Facebook.
Wyatt Coiteux, right, was killed when his snowmobile triggered an avalanche in Montana
Officials say Coiteux and his snowmobile were buried under a meter of snow
After the avalanche was triggered, a nearby group of riders arrived at the scene of the accident shortly after the incident and were able to contact a search and rescue team.
The group searched for an hour with a probe lead before finally locating the man’s body, performing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator to no avail.
According to local officials, the brothers were driving next door and Coiteux was wearing an airbag at the time of the avalanche.
It’s unclear if the airbag didn’t deploy due to a malfunction or if Coiteux didn’t pull it.
The pair also had shovels and probes, but didn’t carry an avalanche beacon, an electronic device that emits a steady radio signal used to locate those buried after an avalanche.
Friends at the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center shared video of the south side of Crown Butte, where Saturday’s avalanche was triggered.
“It occurred on a south-east facing slope at 9,800 feet. At the crown, the avalanche averaged 1.5 to 2 feet deep and up to 4 feet at the deepest point,” the group captioned their video.
‘It [the avalanche] broke 500 feet wide and ran 600 vertical feet. It was a hard slab avalanche that broke off on weak, sugary snow and was large enough to snap trees or destroy a car,” the caption continued.
Coiteux’s mother and father confirmed his death in a post on Facebook on Sunday
The Washington native loved outdoor activities
The group said in another post that it urges anyone planning to hit the slopes to take proper precautions and avoid dangerous or problematic areas.
“This fatality is the strongest indication that the snowpack remains capable of producing large and dangerous avalanches,” they said.
The group also shared a photo from the bottom of Crown Butte showing the sheet of snow that had broken off and crushed the young man.
‘Holy cow! That record that broke is MASSIVE! Shows how dangerous these weak layers can really be. I hope this encourages others to be more prepared and take extra safety precautions,” one Facebook commenter wrote.
According to his public social media pages, the 21-year-old was an avid snowmobiler and had experience on the slopes.
The 21-year-old dreamed of becoming a racing driver
Coiteux was a regular on the slopes and loved to sit on his snowmobile, his family said
Wyatt Coiteux (right) and his father Sean Coiteux (left)
Coiteux’s girlfriend confirmed in an Instagram post on Sunday that her boyfriend was a victim of the Montana avalanche and shared a series of photos along with an image from a local news article covering the incident.
“I’m really heartbroken my handsome is no longer with me. He was an amazing man, my dear, my be-all and end-all. We were supposed to be married, have kids and grow old together but he was taken away too soon but he was doing what he loved,” she wrote.
“My heart is not full without you, I will miss you forever and ever and let a piece of me go. You were my soulmate and I’ve known it since 4th grade. I knew I would date you,” Erika Hopman said.
“I don’t know how to function without you, my love, my pretty one. I love you so much you will never be forgotten,” she wrote.
Coiteux’s girlfriend publicly identified him as a victim of Sunday’s avalanche
“I’m really heartbroken, my handsome is no longer with me,” said the friend
In her Instagram post, Erika Hopmann shared a photo from a local news article covering the incident
According to his public social media pages, the 21-year-old was an avid snowmobiler.
“My best friend, my brother, my family,” one person wrote in a tribute to Coiteux.
“On December 31, 2022, the rock of my life fell off an avalanche while snowmobiling in Montana.
“I’m torn that you were taken out of all of our lives so quickly. We are all heartbroken. We will miss you. I love you, Wyatt Coiteux, wrote the friend.
Coiteux was a car enthusiast and had dozens of photos of vehicles on his Instagram
This is Crown Butte where the deadly avalanche was triggered
‘My boy. My racing coach. My hip hop partner. My drone specialist. My source of endless great stories and adventures,” the woman wrote.
The 21-year-old described himself on Instagram as a “motorsport enthusiast” and “would-be racer”.
“I can’t look at photos or videos without smiling. Your life has been so inimitable, fueled by passion, joy and adrenaline. Seeing my brother adore you, being in the audience of your greatest moments will stay with me forever. God, how I love you,” said the aunt. ‘Forever in your pit crew.’
reached out to officials at the Park County Coroner’s Office but received no response at the time of publication.
As well as being an avid snowmobiler, Coiteux was also a car and motorsport enthusiast
Coiteux’s aunt posted this photo of the two on Facebook on Sunday evening