DENVER (KDVR) — A 41-year-old woman from Crested Butte died in an avalanche Thursday, Silverton Medical Rescue reported.
The incident was reported in the area known locally as “The Nose,” which is near Ophir Pass, just north of Silverton. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and Silverton Medical Rescue were alerted to an avalanche accident through a satellite emergency communications alert at about 1:09 p.m. on Thursday, the agencies reported on Facebook.
The agencies found that a Crested Butte woman was skiing in the area with a male partner and had been caught, carried and critically buried, resulting in her death.
Her ski partner was also caught in the avalanche but was able to ski out of the moving snow, according to the agencies. Others in the area responded to the avalanche and helped dig out the woman, who was dead when located.
The Silverton Medical Rescue Avalanche Response team arrived in the area at about 1:57 p.m., and the dead skier was extracted from the Middle Fork of Mineral Creek.
The agencies said 27 team members responded to the incident representing Silverton Medical Rescue, La Plata County Search & Rescue and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office along with team members from Silverton Avalanche School, Colorado Avalanche Information Center and Silverton Mountain. The Silverton Medical Rescue Team, in its social media post, thanked Silverton Mountain for providing its helicopter and crew to aid the search and rescue mission on Ophir today.
“I want to thank all of the emergency responders who train hard and stand ready to respond to incidents like the one we had today,” said Michael Burton, Incident Commander, Silverton Medical Rescue, in the release.
The Silverton Medical Rescue Team also extended condolences to the family, friends and community of Crested Butte. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said it would have staff visit the site on Friday.
This is the second fatal avalanche in Colorado during the 2024-2025 winter season. Both have been reported in the San Juan Mountains. Current avalanche conditions are lower than they have been in previous days and weeks, but avalanche danger is still present.