American skier Kasha Rigby, 54, is killed in Kosovo avalanche: Pioneering athlete was with her British fiance when snow swept her into trees

• The legendary telemark skier was at the Ski Center in Brezovica with her fiancé on Tuesday, when she was caught in a small avalanche
• She was reportedly swept into the trees and died on impact
• Tributes to Rigby immediately began to pour in on her Instagram from friends and loved ones across the world of skiing 

Legendary American skier Katherine ‘Kasha’ Rigby has died following an avalanche at a ski resort in southern Kosovo, reports say.

The death of a 54-year-old skier was initially reported Tuesday by Euronew.albania.

A spokesperson for the regional police told Radio Free Europe that the victim of the avalanche was a ’54-year-old foreign citizen.’

The pioneering athlete was in Brezovica with her fiancé Magnus Wolfe Murray when she was caught in a small avalanche that swept her into the trees.

She was reportedly killed on impact. Wolfe Murray was able to reach her in 20 seconds and attempted to resuscitate her, but was unsuccessful, according to Back Country Magazine.

Legendary American skier Katherine ‘Kasha’ Rigby is feared dead after an avalanche at a ski resort in southern Kosovo

Tributes to the skier immediately began flooding her Instagram in the aftermath of the report

The report out of Europe did not specifically name Rigby as the victim of the avalanche at the Ski Center in Brezovica, but the skier’s friends and loved ones began posting tributes to her Instagram account.

According to Fox, Ski Magazine reported that sources close to the skier contacted the outlet about her death.

The fearless athlete was born in Vermont, before moving to Colorado and later Utah.

She was celebrated for, among other things, becoming the achieve skier to achieve a telemark ski descent of Cho You, a Himalayan mountain and the sixth highest in the world.

Telemark skiing is a technique that combines elements of Alpine and Nordic skiing. The rear foot is leveraged to keep balanced while pushing on the front foot.

Unlike other techniques, telemark skiing uses only toe binds – the back heel is not hooked onto the ski.

During her impressive career, Rigby also also descended from challenging peaks in Russia, Ecuador, and Lebanon, according to Ski Magazine.

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