COLORADO — There were multiple tragedies in Colorado’s high country over Presidents Day weekend. Some lost their lives in strange accidents, while others are tragedies that could have possibly been prevented.
A skier from out of state died on a ski lift at Vail. His coat apparently tightened around his neck and cut of his air supply when he fell through the lift chair. The incident is under investigation. Vail Resorts did release information saying the chair was inspected and was functioning properly.
"Presidents Day is always kind of where our rule thumb is that we're going to start looking at more extreme avalanche conditions or more serious avalanche conditions. And true to form, it's happening," said Eagle County Sheriff James Van Beek. He is warning about the danger in his county after two men were buried by an avalanche and died. They were in the back county on monotrack snowbikes.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center posted warnings over the weekend about rising avalanche danger. With snow continuing in the mountains the danger continues. "Right now across most of the northern and central mountains avalanche conditions are dangerous. People are triggering very large avalanches and sometimes They're triggering them from a distance," said Avalanche Forecaster Spencer Logan.
