ASPEN, Colo.-
An avalanche that killed two friends near Aspen slid after a third friend had triggered a larger avalanche, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said.
Jason Luck, 33, of Arvada, was leading his friends on skis Tuesday when he triggered a large avalanche on Mount Shimer near Aspen around 1:50 p.m., a report by the center said.
A smaller avalanche that slid 800 feet from an elevation of 11,800 feet carried all three men off, the report said. The report said the smaller avalanche also was skier-triggered.
Luck traveled 100 feet. Alexis Dodin, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Simon Ozanne, of Maplewood, N.J., slid farther. One was found 7 feet below the surface and the other was 3.3 feet below the surface, the report said.
Luck unburied his friends and called for help, but both died before rescuers arrived.
Both Dodin, 32, and Ozanne, 35, were on split snowboards.
The report noted that the men were “well prepared” with avalanche beacons, probes and shovels. They had dug a pit to check for instability and had checked the avalanche center’s Web site before their trip to check on conditions.
The danger was rated moderate, although forecasts warned of some persistent weak layers and deep instabilities on steeper northwest, north, and northeast aspects near and above tree line.
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Information from: The Aspen Times
