Snowmobiler, skier killed in separate Rocky Mountain avalanches in Colorado, Wyoming
Officials are investigating after two people, a snowmobiler and skier, died in less than a 48-hour time frame in separate avalanches in the Rocky Mountains.
The most recent death took place over the weekend when a skier in Colorado was buried after a landslide of snow rushed down a slope in the Anthracite Range and caught the skier in its path, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported.
The man died while skiing Sunday, CAIC reported, and people skiing with him were able "to locate and extricate him from avalanche debris" in an area known to locals as the "Playground," east of Ohio Peak and southwest of Crested Butte.
Despite being rescued, the man died from injuries he suffered in the natural disaster.
Forecasters with the center were slated visit the accident site on Monday to continue investigating.
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Two snowmobilers trigger Wyoming avalanche
Two days earlier in Wyoming, two people on snowmobiles triggered an avalanche, killing one of the riders, the CAIC said.
The fatality took place as the pair rode along the lower portion of an open east-facing slop in Haskins Creek, west of Battle Pass in the Sierra Madre range.
"The avalanche broke two to eight feet deep and very wide," officials said, and both riders were caught.
One of the victims rode out of the moving debris and turned to see the other snowmobile rider partially buried with his feet in the air and head below the debris.
The rider dug his partner free and performed CPR, officials said, but the person did not survive.
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7 dead in avalanches this season
Over the past 10 years, 27 people on average die annually in avalanches, according to CAIC.
As of Tuesday, CAIC reported, seven people had died in avalanches across the U.S in the 2023-2024 season.
The deaths include at least four skiers, one snowboarder, one snowmobiler and one other person caught in the path of an avalanche.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.