Backcountry Skier Killed In Avalanche On Diamond Peak, Colorado

Tragic news from Northern Colorado where a 29-year-old woman died Sunday after getting caught in an avalanche while backcountry skiing on Diamond Peak near Cameron Pass. ABC reports the avalanche occurred at 11,400 feet and was 2 to 3 feet deep, very wide and ran close to 500 feet vertically.

The skier was completely buried by snow. Other skiers located her and dug her out but she wasn’t breathing and first responders pronounced dead at the scene. This is the first fatality from an avalanche in the state this season.

The woman’s identity has not been released but it has been confirmed she from Fort Collins. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family and friends.

Accident Summary

Preliminary Report: On Sunday December 8, a backcountry skier was caught and fully buried in an avalanche on south Diamond Peak. A member of her touring party and other people in the area performed a rescue. They recovered her from the snow, but she did not survive.

CAIC forecasters visited the accident site on December 9. They reported that the avalanche was approximately 285 feet wide at the crown face and around 375 feet wide at the toe. The avalanche ran around 425 vertical feet. The crown face varied in depth from about 1.5 feet deep on the lookers left to around 3 feet deep on the lookers right. Forecasters found multiple weak layers. The avalanche stepped down to the ground in the thinner areas. We will compile a full report in the next week. Our deepest condolences go out to the friends and family of the deceased, and to everyone affected by this accident.