ASPEN, Colo.—A 20-year-old climber is dead after tumbling about 600 feet into a canyon near Aspen.
Authorities identified the victim in Saturday’s accident as Spencer James Nelson of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s nationally ranked ski team.
He had summited one of the 14,000-foot Maroon Peaks and was headed back down with seven other people, including his father, when he was hit by a rock from above and fell.
Deputy Alex Burchetta, a spokesman for the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, says he fell into what’s known as the Bell Chord couloir.
Nelson’s body wasn’t immediately recovered due to darkness.
CU Chancellor Philip DiStefano issued a statement Sunday extending sympathies to Nelson’s parents and brother.
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Information from: The Denver Post,
