The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office has identified the missing backcountry skier they’ve been searching for since Saturday evening as Dr. Jonathan Scott Torgerson, a 62-old-physician from Columbia Falls who has long practiced in the area.
The Sheriff’s office says it got a report at approximately 7:15 p.m. Saturday that Torgerson was overdue from a solo ski in the Flower Point area of Whitefish Mountain Resort.
The sheriff’s office says they were told Torgerson intended to ski out of bounds to the north east of the ski area boundary.
Soon after the report, members of North Valley and Flathead Search and Rescue initiated a search, but were unable to find Torgerson.
The winter storm caused the search to be suspended for a few hours. It resumed yesterday morning with the Flathead Avalanche Center participating in the ground search.
The Two Bear Air Rescue Helicopter was able to join the search yesterday as well, until high winds and reduced visibility made that impossible.
This morning the helicopter was able to resume searching. The Sheriff’s office says that today more than 30 volunteers are involved in the ground search today, including members of the Flathead Valley Nordic Ski Patrol.
