U.S. Paralympics swimming coach Jimi Flowers died after sliding and falling 500 feet on Capitol Peak near Aspen on Friday, officials say.
Flowers, 47, of Colorado Springs was climbing with a friend when the accident happened about 2:30 p.m. on the northwest ridge of the peak near 13,000 feet in elevation.
“He loved the mountains. He loved his family and he loved the Lord,” said Randy Stark, 46, who was at the family home in Colorado Springs.
Flowers and a climbing companion from Colorado Springs, whose name has not been released, reached the peak at 14,130 feet elevation and were on their way down when the accident occurred.
Flowers lost his footing on a snow patch between K2 and Daly Saddle and fell and slid at high speed through snow chutes and rock bands until he came to rest at an elevation of 12,500 feet in a rocky area, Pitkin County sheriff’s spokesman Adam Crider said.
“He literally slipped and fell and couldn’t catch himself,” Crider said.
Most climbing accidents occur during descent because climbers are fatigued and have a “relaxed mindset,” he said.
A call for help was made at 2:45 p.m., Crider said.
Members of Mountain Rescue Aspen and sheriff’s deputies were flown by helicopter to a nearby plateau and hiked about a mile and a half to where Flowers was by about 6 p.m.
They attempted to resuscitate the swimming coach but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 6:23 p.m.
A three-person team spent the night near the body.
A helicopter took Flowers’ body from the mountain Saturday morning, Crider said.
Flowers is survived by his wife, Sue, and their two children, Sam, 9, and Lauren, 4, Stark said.
“Jimi was an incredible coach who developed numerous Olympic and Paralympic champions,” said Stephanie Streeter, acting chief executive of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
“He was passionate about swimming.”
Flowers inspired swimmers to excel at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, said Charlie Huebner, U.S. Paralympics chief.
“He made the U.S. the best swimming team in the world,” Huebner said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
