*UPDATED* The man who passed away in Friday’s avalanche has been confirmed as 34 year old John Knox McEwen Frank from Crested Butte, CO. The massive slide was bigger than we originally reported travelling 5,000 feet total and 2,000 vertical feet. The victim was buried over 7 feet deep. Some of the newly released photos below are downright frightening.
As reported by CAIC and the Denver Post, a backcountry skier from Colorado was killed yesterday afternoon south of Telluride on the east side of Ophir Pass in an area called Paradise Basin. The name of the victim has not been released yet, he was the first in a group of 4 to drop into the zone.
The wet slide was triggered at 12,700 feet on an east-southeast aspect around 4pm and ran 1,900 feet long and 550 feet wide with a 2 foot crown. The victim was wearing a beacon and was found around 45 minutes after the slide was triggered, he wasn’t breathing with no pulse and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Our deepest condolences go out to the victim’s family and friends. This was the 7th Colorado avalanche fatality of the season and 3rd in the Telluride area. Please be careful out there and be safe.
*UPDATED PHOTOS*
