Alecsander Luke Barton’s life was cut short Saturday when he was caught in an avalanche in the Mineral Falls area of Big Cottonwood Canyon. The University of Utah student was on a snowboard when he triggered a 700-foot-wide slide that carried him nearly a half-mile down the mountain and buried him under 3 feet of debris.

Two friends tackling the backcountry with Barton that morning were able to locate him using avalanche beacons. But the rescue attempt became a recovery effort and Barton’s body was flown off the mountain.

Alec’s father says his son more than likely wanted to be the first down the mountain to test the safety of the snow.

Over the weekend, the Utah Avalanche Center had classified the avalanche danger as “considerable.”