Snowboarder Successfully Rescued After An Avalanche At Steamboat, Colorado
Though caught and buried in an avalanche this past Sunday, December 15, one person was successfully rescued and is in fine condition.
It was midday on Sunday that a group of people visiting Steamboat Resort in Colorado may have triggered the avalanche from below, resulting in the group being caught in the slide. The group was in an inbounds area of the resort, though the area was closed at the time. The group did not duck any ropes, however. They had traversed in above Big Meadow, which was open at the time of the slide.
Although the entire group was caught in the avalanche, only one person was totally buried in the snow. The Steamboat Resort Ski Patrol was dispatched to the scene to perform the rescue, which they were able to do quickly and quite successfully. The victim was pulled from the snow conscious and breathing and was transported by ambulance to UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, according to a report from The Steamboat Pilot. It was last reported that all those caught in the avalanche are in good condition.
Even with mitigation work, there are still several areas that have been kept closed due to avalanche danger. Currently, the Colorado Avalanche Center has the Steamboat & Flat Tops areas as having an avalanche danger forecast of Considerable, due to the large amounts of snow falling in those areas, which in some cases has been over five feet in a short amount of time.
It is urged that anyone skiing in any area should take as many precautions as needed. Be sure to watch the avalanche forecasts, whether you are skiing inbounds or in the backcountry. Also, be aware of any areas that are currently closed. Those areas are closed for a reason and avalanche danger is one of those reasons.
Photo Credit: Steamboat Resort/FB
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