March 19 (UPI) — An avalanche that occurred just outside of a Colorado ski resort killed one skier Sunday, authorities said, marking the second person to die from an avalanche in the state in a matter of days and the 19th nationwide this winter season.
The avalanche was reported to authorities shortly before 1:30 p.m. Sunday in the Maroon Bowl just outside of the Aspen Highlands Ski Area, located about 200 miles south of Denver.
Three skiers were in the area when the avalanche occurred, but only one was buried, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
One of the uninjured skiers was able to located and extract the buried skier on whom they began to perform CPR, which they ceased at about 4:15 p.m.
About a half hour later after a helicopter was able to deploy two rescuers to the location, both the deceased and uninjured skiers were airlifted to the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport.
The third skier was earlier rescued after being instructed by Aspen Highlands Ski Patrol to hike to higher ground, it said.
“Each of the three skiers involved in this avalanche had avalanche safety training and were carrying and using avalanche safety equipment,” the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office said. “The identity of the deceased skier is being withheld pending necessary notifications and the completion of the coroner’s investigation.”
The avalanche occurred a day after the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said they had recovered the body of 36-year-old Joel Shute of Glenwood Springs, Colo., who was one of three people who were caught in an avalanche on Friday in Rapid Creek, southwest of Marble, which is near the Aspen Highlands Ski Area.
Authorities said the call of the avalanche came in shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, with two men having been extracted from the mountain and transported for medical treatment.
Shute’s body was found at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday and was recovered via helicopter, the Gunnison County Sheriff’s Office said.
Nineteen people have been killed so far this winter season from avalanches in the United States, including seven skiers, six snowmobilers, three snowboarders and three snowshoers, climbers or hikers, according to avalanche.org, a website by the American Avalanche Association and the U.S. Forest Service National Avalanche Center.
Over the last 10 winters, there has been an average of 27 deaths each winter due to avalanches, said the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.