Man killed in avalanche near Copper Mountain, marking first avalanche death of the season

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – The coroner's office has identified a man who was killed in an avalanche near Copper Mountain on Saturday. 

David Pickett-Heaps was identified by the Eagle County Coroner's Office as the man who died in the first avalanche death of the season in Colorado.

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC), a person was reported missing in the Boss Basin area on March 7. Multiple rescue groups responded and found an avalanche with ski and snowmobile tracks nearby, says CIAC.

The missing person, now identified as Pickett-Heaps, was located on March 8, deceased in the avalanche debris, confirms CIAC.

CIAC says an investigation found that the avalanche occurred near treeline on a northeast-facing slope. The avalanche was about two feet deep. Slope angles in the starting zone ranged from 33 to 36 degrees.

Officials say they will continue to update as additional information becomes available.

Stay up to date with the latest local news, sports, and investigations by downloading the KRDO13 app. Click here to download it from the Apple App Store. Android users can download it from Google Play here.