Skier triggers avalanche and sees partner vanish as he’s swept into trees in Colorado
A skier triggered an avalanche that swept his partner through trees and into a gully on a steep Colorado slope, officials said.
The two skiers headed into Colorado backcountry on Feb. 26 to spend the day on the slopes, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said in an accident report. They planned to ski near Parrott Peak in southwest Colorado.
The skiers had previous experience on the slopes, and they knew there were many trees and no open zones below the ridgeline in the area.
One of the skiers went down several hundred feet below the ridgeline, and the other skier went to follow him. However, the slope broke and an avalanche started to sweep past them.
“The avalanche started on a steep, tree-covered slope. It carried (one skier) through the trees into a gully,” officials said in the accident report. “The avalanche ran 1,100 vertical feet.”
The skier used his avalanche airbag and was carried past the most extreme part of the debris. He became partially buried in snow and was stranded.
Snow packed the skier’s clothing, and he was unable to move. He was quickly becoming cold, and hypothermia could’ve been an issue, officials said.
“(The other skier) carefully skied onto the bed surface of the avalanche,” officials said. “He searched with his avalanche-rescue transceiver and looked for visual clues while descending the avalanche path. He noticed the avalanche got wider as it traveled downslope.”
He saw the other skier with both legs covered in debris, and they yelled out for each other, officials said. He dug the skier out of the snow.
Officials said there was “lots of blood in the snow” and the skier’s leg was injured. The skiers called 911 for help.
Rescuers and a Flight for Life helicopter responded to the area. The injured skier was flown to a hospital, and crews returned for the other skier.
“(The skier) sustained significant injuries in the avalanche,” officials said. “A fast rescue was key to saving his life.”
An avalanche can happen quickly and catch people by surprise. Avalanches can move between 60 mph and 80 mph and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to officials.
They can be triggered by a change in the weather or by people recreating on a slope, officials said.
Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope.
In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions are right, National Geographic reported.
At least 11 people in the U.S. have died in avalanches this season as of March 7, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 7:21 AM with the headline "Skier triggers avalanche and sees partner vanish as he’s swept into trees in Colorado."