Snowboarder caught, killed in avalanche near Silverton in southwestern Colorado
A snowboarder was caught and killed in a backcountry avalanche Thursday in southwestern Colorado, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
The CAIC said in a preliminary report that the snowboarder was with a skier in an area known as The Nose west of Silverton when they were caught in the avalanche. While the skier was able to escape, the snowboarder was carried in the debris. Staff at a backcountry hut nearby saw the slide and called search and rescue.
Rescuers joined the skier who survived in searching for the snowboarder. They eventually located and dug out the snowboarder’s body.
Officials have not released the identity of the snowboarder killed in the slide in the Middle Fork of Mineral Creek drainage. Avalanche conditions were considered “moderate” (level 2 of 5), according to the CAIC forecast.
The rescue efforts included the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Silverton Medical Rescue, San Juan County Search and Rescue, La Plata Search and Rescue, Silverton Avalanche School, and a helicopter from Silverton Mountain, the CAIC said.
The state agency says it will have investigators on the scene Friday.
In 2021, three backcountry skiers from Eagle were killed in an avalanche on The Nose.
The fatal slide Thursday represents the second backcountry avalanche death of the winter season in Colorado. A 57-year-old skier was killed Jan. 7 in a backcountry avalanche north of Silverton off Red Mountain Pass. This winter, a total of 51 people have been caught in avalanches in the Colorado high country, according to CAIC reports.
