Avalanche kills 2 people in Colorado, 2nd deadly avalanche of the season

(CNN) — Search and rescue crews recovered the body of a missing snowmobiler buried in the Colorado mountains after an avalanche Saturday that had already claimed the life of another person, authorities said.

The body of the 52-year-old man was transported Sunday morning to the Grand County Coroner’s Office, which will determine the cause of death and release at a different time, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

“Unfortunately, this is the second fatal avalanche that we have experienced this season in Grand County,” Sheriff Brett Schroetlin said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victims.”

Emergency personnel responded to a report of two snowmobilers buried in an avalanche Saturday afternoon on Corona Pass, in the area of Mount Epworth/Pumphouse Lake near the town of Winter Park in unincorporated Grand County, authorities said.

First responders, along with nearby citizens, recovered one of the snowmobilers — a 58-year-old man from northern Colorado, the sheriff’s office said.

Despite emergency resuscitation efforts, this victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Responders were unable to find the second buried male Saturday and were forced to retreat from the area due to weather and safety concerns, authorities said. The search resumed Sunday.

The sheriff’s office, Grand County Search and Rescue and the local coroner’s office have been in contact with the next of kin for both people who were trapped in the avalanche.

The coroner will release the deceased person’s identity and cause of death when appropriate, the sheriff’s office said.

---

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.