Recovery of 3 MN men after avalanche not currently possible, Alaska troopers say

GIRDWOOD, Alaska (FOX 9) - Alaska authorities say they are not able to recover the bodies of three Minnesota men after they were caught in an avalanche south of Anchorage earlier this week. 

A news release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety said recovery efforts are not possible until conditions improve. 

READ MORE: Minnesota men missing after Alaska avalanche

Girdwood avalanche recovery postponed

What they're saying:

Alaska state troopers say they, along with avalanche experts and a technical mountain rescue expert, determined it is not possible for a team to safely recover the bodies.

This is because of the risk of an additional avalanche and the challenging location of where the bodies are believed to be buried. 

Authorities say they will continue to evaluate conditions to determine when it is safe for rescue teams to operate in the area, but that "it may take some time for conditions to improve."

The news release states that based on the three avalanche beacons' last signals, the bodies are believed to be buried between 40 and 100 feet of snow "at the bottom of a steep section of terrain."

3 skiers missing after Girdwood avalanche

The backstory:

Authorities said the three heli-skiers had been flown on Tuesday to a remote mountain range near Girdwood, Alaska – just southeast of Anchorage in the Chugach range – when they were swept under by the avalanche.

The avalanche happened around 3:30 p.m. Alaska time and authorities were notified about 90 minutes later.

Authorities estimated the skiers have been buried under approximately 40 to 100 feet of snow, and the weight of the snow likely killed the group.

The three skiers who are missing were identified Thursday as: 

• Jeremy Leif, 38, of Minnesota.
• David Linder, 39, of Florida, and owner of Radio Mankato in Minnesota.
• Charles Eppard, 39, of Montana, and originally from North Mankato, Minnesota.

Dig deeper:

Heli-skiing involves skiers being taken to the top of a mountain via helicopter and skiing their way down the mountain.

Officials had listed the avalanche risk for the Turnagain Pass, which includes the avalanche zone, was forecast as "considerable."

Outpouring of love for the three skiers

Local perspective:

There has also been an outpouring of love from across the country for the three victims. Although they lived in different states, the group may have forged a friendship while growing up in Minnesota.

Loved ones are sharing tributes online as they begin to grieve their loss. Friends described all three men as loving husbands and fathers.

What you can do:

If you would like to help their families in any way during this difficult time, visit their GoFundMe fundraisers: Jeremy Leif, Charles Eppard, David Linder.