Crime & Safety

Bellevue Teens Killed In Avalanche Identified

The two teens were snowshoeing over the weekend when they became trapped in an avalanche, according to the King County Sheriff's Office.

BELLEVUE, WA - The two Bellevue teens who died in an avalanche Sunday while snowshoeing near Snoqualmie Pass have been identified by the medical examiner.

Nikko Suokko, 18, and Declan Ervin, 17, both died of asphyxia due to entrapment beneath snow, according to the King County Medical Examiner. Their cause of death was listed as accident.

The teens were reported missing on Sunday after they ventured to a back-country area near the Alpental ski area to go snowshoeing. They were found Monday morning by a King County Sheriff's Office search-and-rescue team.

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The search teams found the teens because one of the was wearing a GPS tracking device.

The current avalanche danger is "considerable" in the Snoqualmie Pass area, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.

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