One dead, two buried alive after avalanche in Colorado

An avalanche rocked a Colorado ski resort.
One skier was killed and two others escaped.
The avalanche occurred in Aspen Highlands, Colorado.

A tragedy occurred in Aspen Highlands, Colorado, where three skiers were caught in a powerful avalanche. One skier was killed and two others who were with him managed to escape.

The victim of the deadly avalanche died a day after another body was discovered as a result of the same avalanche that occurred in Aspen Highlands, Colorado. Authorities have already identified the victims.

One dead, two escaped after an avalanche in Colorado

One dead, two buried alive after avalanche in Colorado — PHOTO: AP

A skier died in an avalanche Sunday near a Colorado ski resort, just a day after authorities recovered the body of another avalanche victim, authorities said.

Three skiers were trapped in Sunday’s large avalanche in the Maroon Bowl area outside the Aspen Highlands resort near Aspen, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said.

Two of the skiers managed to escape after the avalanche in Colorado

Two of the skiers managed to escape. More details about the victim were not immediately available, so it is expected that information will be revealed in the coming days.

On Saturday, Colorado authorities recovered the body of skier Joel Shute, 36, of Glenwood Springs, after he and two other people were trapped in a large avalanche southwest of Marble in western Colorado.

Avalanche victim had been missing since Friday night

Shute had been missing since Friday night, when the avalanche tore 2,400 feet (730 meters) down a mountainside as they traveled through the countryside.

The avalanche was 2 to 3 feet (up to nearly 1 meter) deep where it started and up to 500 feet (150 meters) wide, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said. Rescue teams found the victim’s body buried in avalanche debris, the center said.

Two people survived

The people who were with the victim survived. — PHOTO: Shutterstock

A skier and a snowboarder who were with Shute survived. The snowboarder went out to get help and rescue teams evacuated the injured skier by helicopter. Both were taken to the hospital, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said, according to the AP.

Shute’s family members said he was aware of avalanche dangers but still skied. The victim’s mother, Lisa Gerstner, said he spent a lot of time traveling and used his pilot’s license to take his father and friends on work and recreation trips.