Kasha Rigby: Legendary American skier presumed dead in avalanche at Kosovo ski resort

BREZOVICA, KOSOVO: Katherine "Kasha" Rigby, a trailblazing American skier, is presumed to have perished in an avalanche at a ski resort situated in southern Kosovo, according to Daily Mail.

The deadly incident was initially reported by Euronews Albania on Tuesday, February 13. Speaking to Radio Free Europe, a spokesperson for the regional police stated that the victim of the avalanche was identified as a "54-year-old foreign citizen."

Kasha Rigby's fiance attempted to resuscitate her

At the time of the tragic incident, the legendary athlete was with her British fiance Magnus Wolfe Murray.

The couple was in Brezovico when they encountered a small avalanche that swept Rigby into the trees. 

Within 20 seconds, Wolfe Murray reached Rigby and endeavored to resuscitate her. Regrettably, despite his efforts, they were unsuccessful.

The impact of the avalanche resulted in her untimely demise, according to Back Country Magazine. A representative from the Mountain Search and Rescue Service of Kosovo stated that after several attempts, the crew members were able to locate the body of an American skier.

"The weather was foggy and the visibility was very low. It was very difficult to locate the accident site," said the representative.

"After several attempts, we found that the accident happened in the place called 'The Place of Eagles.'"

"After a short search, the body was located, but unfortunately, due to trauma from the avalanche, a foreign citizen passed away,'" the representative shared.

While the European report did not specifically name Rigby as the victim of the Ski Center avalanche in Brezovica, loved ones and friends of the skier posted tributes to her social media account.

Who was Kasha Rigby?

Renowned for her fearless spirit, Rigby hailed from Vermont. Later on, she relocated to Colorado and subsequently to Utah.

Rigby's illustrious professional career reached new heights when she accomplished the feat of becoming the first skier to achieve a telemark ski descent of Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain globally, situated in the Himalayas.

Telemark skiing is a fusion of elements of both Alpine and Nordic skiing. The technique involves pushing on the front foot while the rear foot is leveraged to maintain balance.

This method of skiing uses only toe binds, unlike other techniques.

According to Ski Magazine, Rigby's illustrious career witnessed her conquering challenging peaks in Ecuador, Russia, and Lebanon.

In 2015, the 54-year-old athlete competed on National Geographic's 'Ultimate Survival Alaska' during season three of the reality program.