Avalanche
The body of a snowmobiler caught in an avalanche on Saturday was located and recovered yesterday, the CAIC reports. It is the third avalanche-related fatality in Colorado over the weekend.
The snowmobiler was caught, buried, and killed in an avalanche near La Manga Pass in Conejos County on February 25, 2023, according to the CAIC preliminary report. The snowmobiler was riding with a group of 4 others when he was caught and buried in an avalanche near the Red Lakes trailhead. The group reported the accident and staff from the Conejos County Sheriff’s Office, USFS, and Conejos County Search and Rescue searched the avalanche debris that evening. The searchers returned with more people, avalanche dog teams from the Wolf Creek Ski Area, forecasters from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, and many members of the local community on February 26. The search effort continued on February 27 with the aforementioned groups and additional help from CDOT, and search and rescue groups from Mineral, Rio Grand, and Alamosa counties. The rider was recovered around midday.
The CAIC tweeted about the incident yesterday afternoon. The fatality is the seventh avalanche death in Colorado for the 2022-2023 season, the 13th in the US, and the 22nd in North America.
We are deeply saddened to report that a missing snowmobiler near La Manga pass was buried and killed in an avalanche. This tragic accident marks the seventh avalanche death in Colorado for the 2022-2023 season and the third fatality since February 25. https://t.co/Y6034lgzv2 pic.twitter.com/dTsI7ZW2Eu
— CAIC:Statewide Info (@COAvalancheInfo) February 27, 2023
