The three missing skiers who were reportedly buried under up to 100 feet of snow after an avalanche in the Alaska backcountry earlier this week have been identified, Alaska State Troopers said Thursday.

The slide caught the heli-skiers late Tuesday afternoon in the Chugach Mountains near the skiing community of Girdwood, located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Anchorage, said McDaniel. Heli-skiers use helicopters to reach mountains in remote backcountry areas where there are no ski lifts, and then they either ski or snowboard down.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers said an avalanche buried three skiers under a blanket of snow between 40 and 100 feet deep in a small resort town.