Michael Janulaitis Obituary, Death; – The identity of a skier who tragically lost his life on Saturday after being engulfed by an avalanche in Summit County has been confirmed. The individual has been identified as Michael Janulaitis, a 51-year-old resident of Marion, Utah.
“We approach you with heavy hearts and profound sorrow this morning,” stated a post on X from the Utah Avalanche Center. “Michael was caught, carried, and ultimately killed in an avalanche while skiing a steep, northeast-facing slope in Hoyt Bowl.” The statement further expressed, “Michael was a friend of Utah Avy, and we feel honored for the time we shared with him. This represents a significant loss for our backcountry community, and he will be deeply missed.”
Background
On March 7, at approximately 5 p.m., the Summit County Sheriff’s Office received a report regarding a skier who had not returned. The individual was skiing alone in the backcountry region near Hoyt Peak, located northeast of Kamas City.
Search and rescue teams were deployed and initiated a coordinated search for the missing man. However, due to “hazardous and ineffective searching conditions,” a press release from the sheriff’s office indicated that authorities decided to temporarily halt the search late Friday night. The search resumed at dawn on Saturday. During the initial search efforts, rescue teams identified a location where an avalanche had recently taken place.
“It was uncertain at that time whether the overdue skier had been involved in the avalanche,” the release noted. “Given the extremely hazardous conditions, additional resources were requested to assist with avalanche mitigation, enabling searchers to operate safely and effectively.”
Shortly before 10:50 a.m. on Saturday, March 8, rescue teams located the man—later confirmed to be Janulaitis—deceased. It was established that he had been caught in the avalanche, according to the sheriff’s office.
