A weekend backcountry outing near Copper Mountain ended in tragedy when a skier was killed in an avalanche in the Boss Basin area, just outside the ski area. The skier was reported missing Saturday evening, and on Sunday, rescue crews located a body in the avalanche debris. Investigators said the slide moved fast, buried the skier under the snow, and attempts to revive the victim were unsuccessful. Local search-and-rescue teams had to work through heavy, fresh snow to reach the debris field.
Where the slide ran
According to the preliminary report from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, rescuers found the missing skier’s body in avalanche debris in the Boss Basin area on Sunday. The agency said the skier was caught, buried, and killed by a rapid snowslide, and that the avalanche ran about two feet deep.
Rescue response
As reported by The Denver Post, teams from Summit County Rescue Group, Vail Mountain Rescue, and the Summit and Eagle county sheriff's offices joined Copper Mountain personnel in the recovery effort. Observers and responders noted ski and snowmobile tracks leading into the slide path, which helped crews focus their search within the debris field.
Conditions and snowfall totals
Spotter reports showed heavy fresh snow across nearby high passes in the days before the slide, more than a foot at Loveland Pass, upwards of two feet in parts of the Indian Peaks, and as much as 18 inches at Berthoud Pass. The National Weather Service also recorded 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow in the immediate area where the fatal avalanche occurred, conditions that can quickly raise avalanche danger, according to the agency.
CAIC statement
"We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the skier," officials at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said in a statement. The agency described the incident as a rapid, fragmented snowslide and urged anyone heading into the high country to check avalanche forecasts and approach steep terrain with caution.
Backcountry safety
Officials and experienced backcountry users emphasize that carrying a beacon, probe, and shovel, and knowing how to use them, remains essential when traveling outside ski-area boundaries. They also point to traveling with partners, running quick companion-rescue drills, and checking the day's avalanche bulletin as steps that can make critical differences in an emergency.
Investigators did not immediately release the skier’s name as they continue notifying next of kin and reviewing the circumstances of the slide. The Denver Post provided the initial reporting on the recovery and on the Colorado Avalanche Information Center's preliminary findings.
