Woman rescued after being buried in avalanche

[Daryl]

Woman rescued after being buried in avalanche Retrieved from http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=89361

SUMMIT COUNTY - A woman slid 1,000 feet as she was partially buried in an avalanche on Friday morning.


The avalanche happened at around 11:45 a.m. Friday west of Grays and Torreys Peaks near Georgetown, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Department.

Deputies say Sara Thompson of Boulder and Dwight Sunwall of Castle Rock were snowshoeing in the Ruby Gulch area when Thompson triggered the snow slide.

"We were probably 20 feet from the edge and she was beside me closer to the edge and all of a sudden, boom she dropped away from me and I could see her, and I tried to watch but she just went out of sight," said Sunwall.

Sunwall was able to call for help around 12:30 p.m. and Thompson was airlifted to Summit County Medical Center with minor injuries. She was treated and released.

Rescue crews say both are very lucky to be alive.

Crews were at first concerned because they could not find Sunwall when they got to the scene and several other avalanches had triggered after the first one. However, he was found alive and well and was able to walk out of the area.

Authorities say May and April are some of the most dangerous months for avalanches in that area.

"We can see it. I mean we're down around 10,000 feet about right here and we've got standing water, we've got moving water coming around us," said Joe Benslibka with Summit County Rescue. "That means the snows actively melting and that's always going to be an unstable condition."