Two local men caught in an avalanche near Arapahoe Basin just before noon Friday were quickly located by friends assisting the Summit County Rescue Group.
A snowboarder, 42, was completely buried in the slide, which occurred on a route called Devil’s Tool, near U.S. 6 across from A-Basin. A 38-year-old skier who was with him suffered a leg fracture and had to be transported out by toboggan, said Jim Koegel, spokesman for the rescue group.
The snowboarder triggered the slide and was completely submerged by the snow but was able to create an air pocket and yell for help. His friends, who were assisting rescue workers, heard him and found him within about 15 minutes after the incident.
Both men are longtime backcountry skiers familiar with the area, and they were carrying shovels, beacons and probes.
The snowboarder triggered a wet-slab release, dislodging snow that was loose because of Friday’s warm weather, Koegel said.
“If they had skied the line a half hour or an hour earlier, it wouldn’t have slid on them,” Koegel said.
Summit County Rescue Group had 15 volunteers out, and A-Basin added four rescue workers. Flight for Life was called out but wasn’t ultimately needed.
