Dog Presumed Dead in Avalanche Found Alive Days Later

Two riders, a skier and a snowboarder, and their dog were ascending a northeast aspect on Mount Peck southeast of Monarch Ski Area, CO, on March 10th. At about 4:00 pm they triggered an avalanche. The skier deployed his airbag and was partially buried and lost a ski. The snowboarder who was below was unable to deploy her airbag and she was partially buried without a viable airway. The skier was able to extricate her.

• Related: Skier Injured in Avalanche on Hatcher Pass, AK, Had to Crawl 1-Mile (2-Hours) Back to Hut

After the avalanche, the skier and snowboarder sent a message to a friend saying they had been caught in an avalanche but were OK. The message said they needed help getting back to the trailhead, the Chaffee County Search and Rescue team said.

Both riders were uninjured and refused medical care, but they could not find the dog or tracks after the avalanche. After a long search, they left the scene, assuming the dog was dead.

However, two days later, the dog wandered back to a trailhead of Monarch Pass and was reunited with his lucky owners.

12 people have died in avalanches in the US this season.