Missing snowshoers and dog found dead after avalanche in Colorado, officials say

Snowshoers and their dog were found dead buried in avalanche debris, Colorado officials said.

Family members reported the two people missing after they didn’t return from a snowshoeing outing on Saturday, Jan. 8, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported.

Sheriff’s deputies and rescuers began to search for them near Hoosier Pass, an 11,542-foot mountain pass about 90 miles southwest of Denver. The team found faint tracks and a recent avalanche.

“They found a recent avalanche and a faint track in an area of interest on a flank of North Star Mountain,” Colorado Avalanche Information Center officials said in an accident report. “An avalanche rescue dog located both snowshoers and their dog.”

The snowshoers and their dog were buried in avalanche debris, rescuers said. All three were dead when discovered.

Officials did not identify the snowshoers.

The avalanche danger was “considerable,” according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

“Many large and deadly avalanches reported yesterday,” officials said on Saturday. “You can trigger an avalanche from low-angle slopes. From a distance or below.”

Eight people have died in avalanches in the U.S. during the 2021-2022 season as of Jan. 10, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

Three people have died in avalanches in Colorado, including a backcountry skier who was buried in an avalanche on Christmas Eve west of Fort Collins.

Two 17-year-old boys were also killed in an avalanche while skiing and snowboarding on an Idaho mountain on Dec. 17.

An avalanche can happen quickly and catch people by surprise. Avalanches can move at speeds between 60 mph and 80 mph, and typically happen on slopes of 30-45 degrees, according to officials.

They can be triggered by a change in the weather or by people recreating on a slope, officials said.

Skiers, snowmobilers and hikers can set off an avalanche when a layer of snow collapses and starts to slide down the slope.

In the U.S., avalanches are most common from December to April, but they can happen at any time if the conditions allow for it, National Geographic reported.

This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 10:51 AM with the headline "Missing snowshoers and dog found dead after avalanche in Colorado, officials say."