15 Survive Getting Caught In Avalanche At A-Basin
ARAPAHOE BASIN, Colo. (CBS4) - Fifteen people at Arapahoe Basin Ski Area escaped tragedy after getting caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
The group was with a ski patroller in the Montezuma Bowl area when the slide happened. The area is on the back side of the ski area in expert terrain and was closed to the general public.
"Just a little before 3 p.m. a call came over the radio that there was an avalanche in the Montezuma Bowl," A-Basin CEO Alan Henceroth said. "We opened Montezuma Bowl just this past Wednesday. That run had not been opened."
A-Basin has seen heavy snow over the past two weeks and avalanche mitigation work had been done in the area.
"The area had received extensive avalanche mitigation work and explosives work both that day, the day before, and several days proceeding," Henceroth said.
Everyone in the group was involved in the slide to some extent. They were all found alive and safe. One skier was evacuated because of a knee injury.
PHOTO GALLERY: Avalanche At Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center worked the entire day Sunday assessing the slide.
