5 Snowboarders Killed in Colorado Avalanche

Authorities think snowboarders triggered the slide

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Apr 21, 2013 5:10 AM CDT

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5 Snowboarders Killed in Colorado Avalanche — In a snowstorm, a truck passes near the spot where five members of a backcountry snowboarder group were found dead after they were trapped by an avalanche on Loveland Pass, Colo. Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

Five snowboarders were killed after apparently triggering a backcountry avalanche in Colorado, authorities say. Search and rescue crews recovered the bodies several hours after yesterday's slide, which was 600 feet wide. A sixth snowboarder caught in the avalanche was able to dig himself out and call for help; his condition wasn't immediately known.

The victims, whose identities weren't immediately known, all had avalanche beacons. Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger said authorities were "pretty sure" the snowboarders triggered the avalanche. The avalanche occurred on a busy winter weekend as many skiers and snowboarders took advantage of late season snowfall in the Rocky Mountains.

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