Officials on Wednesday identified a couple killed in an avalanche in central Oregon.
Terance Olaf Skjersaa, 57, and Susan Renee Skjersaa, 52, were from Bend, Oregon, about 140 miles east of Eugene, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said it responded Monday to reports of backcountry skiers who were buried beneath the snow in an avalanche in an area known commonly as “Happy Valley.”
Friends reported the couple missing and began searching for them Monday night, after they’d failed to return from their outing, the sheriff’s office said. Just before midnight, friends found the couple buried in snow. Both were dead.
The sheriff’s office said the avalanche most likely happened several hours before the couple was found.
Both bodies were recovered by search-and-rescue teams deployed by the sheriff’s office, who also investigated the scene.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of the couple who lost their lives in the avalanche while enjoying the Central Oregon backcountry,” Sheriff Kent van der Kamp said in a statement Tuesday. “Their long history in our community and the lives they touched are a testament to the spirit and resilience that make Central Oregon such a special place to live.”
The sheriff’s office warned that avalanche danger in the area, known as the Central Cascades, is “moderate to considerable” and said the public should “use extreme caution when recreating in the area.”
CORRECTION (Feb. 19, 2025, 8:45 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated Bend, Oregon’s location. It is about 140 miles east of Eugene, not 140 miles west.
