Snowmobiler rescued after being buried in avalanche near Vail Pass for an hour
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – A snowmobiler was rescued after being buried in an avalanche for an hour on Monday, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) said.
According to the CAIC, at around noon on Feb. 17, the snowmobiler was caught and buried in an avalanche on Shrine Mountain, just west of Vail Pass. The person he was snowmobiling with tried to use a rescue avalanche transceiver to locate his partner but didn't get any signal, so he called 911.
Deputies with the Summit County Sheriff's Office and personnel with the Summit County Rescue Group responded to the scene. While walking across the debris field, one rescuer spotted the corner of the snowmobiler's deployed avalanche airbag sticking out of the snow.
Rescuers and the rider's partner helped dig him from the snow about an hour after the avalanche buried him, the CAIC said. The snowmobiler was "conscious and talking, but cold." He was transported to a hospital for further evaluation.
On Thursday, Feb. 13, the CAIC warned backcountry travelers that avalanche danger was expected to rise to HIGH levels (4 of 5) over the Valentine's and Presidents Day weekend, considered "one of the busiest—and, historically, most dangerous—times of the season."
"We expect natural avalanches this weekend, and people venturing into the backcountry will be able to trigger slides big enough to bury, injure, or kill them," CAIC Director Ethan Greene said. "And once the skies clear on Sunday, the chances of an accident will increase due to the nice weather, new snow, and dangerous avalanche conditions."
According to the CAIC, February is the deadliest month for avalanches in Colorado, and Valentine’s Day through Presidents Day weekend is the most dangerous period of the season. Over the past 10 years, eight people have died in avalanches between February 14-16.
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