Dr. Torgerson had been missing since February.
A popular Whitefish, Montana-area doctor who went missing while backcountry skiing near the local resort in February was found this weekend.
Jonathan Torgerson, an avid backcountry skier was reportedly skiing in the “Flower Point” area near Whitefish Mountain Resort (formerly known as Big Mountain). He was apparently skiing alone when he went missing February 17 and search and rescue, along with a team of volunteers, were unable to locate him during the winter.
According to Sheriff Chuck Curry, that’s because it looked as though Torgerson was caught in an avalanche on the north side of the mountain where he was riding. His body was found in an “avalanche deposition zone” where debris from slides had typically been deposited.
The body of the 62-year-old Torgerson, who apparently lived in Columbia Falls, just east of Whitefish on Montana’s Highway 40, was found using a K-9 team. Torgerson was a skilled physician with a memorable bedside manner. He practiced a “wide-range” of medicine including geriatric care at North Valley Hospital in Whitefish.
Facebook comments like the this one from Christine Petersen Von Heeder reflected the community’s feelings for the man: “God Bless the Family first and then the countless hours that the searchers, two Bear Air, Sheriff Department, numerous Volenteers, gave in finding the Good Doctor. Thank You for never giving up! Rest in Peace, Jon!”
