2 Rescued From Avalanche At Taos Ski Valley
TAOS SKI VALLEY, NM (CBS4)- Two people were rescued after being buried in an avalanche at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico on Thursday. Both are in critical condition.
Taos Ski Valley said there were no other victims buried in the slide. The avalanche happened in a ski area that was open to the public just before noon on Thursday.
"This is a pretty serious avalanche. It started up high on the slope and had a significant amount of snow and was a pretty serious avalanche," said Chris Staggs, Vice President of Taos Ski Valley.
Staggs said the two victims are in their thoughts and prayers. Kachina Peak, the highest peak at the ski area, is in-bounds but is categorized as expert.
It took about an hour for crews to locate and pull the two people out of the snow. There were about 1,000 skiers and snowboarders on the mountain Thursday, according to Taos Ski Valley.
Stagg said the ski patrol team detonated explosives in the area of Kachina Peak on Thursday morning to reduce the risk of avalanche.
