The body of Dr. Jonathan Scott Torgerson was recovered Saturday, nearly three months after the physician went missing while skiing in the Big Mountain backcountry.
Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said search-and-rescue crews located and recovered Torgerson’s body at 11 a.m. in an avalanche deposition zone on the north side of the mountain. Curry said it appears that Torgerson, 62, was caught up in a small avalanche on Feb. 17.
Torgerson, an experienced backcountry skier, lived in Columbia Falls and practiced medicine across a wide range of specialties, including geriatric care at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.
Torgerson’s Feb. 17 disappearance set off a wide-ranging and intensive search effort that included professional search-and-rescue crews from multiple counties, Two Bear Air Rescue, experienced backcountry skiers, friends and family.
Curry said crews resumed the search in recent weeks and were aided by warming temperatures and snow conditions in the successful recovery. Out-of-area K9 teams participated in the search, and one such K9 team was “instrumental in today’s mission,” the sheriff said.
“The Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank all of the volunteers,” Curry continued, “who have contributed countless hours in this ongoing search to bring Dr. Torgerson home to his family.”