ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, CO – A skier dislocated their shoulder grabbing onto a tree as an avalanche swept them down a Colorado mountainside Saturday, briefly burying them before companions dug them out in a harrowing rescue caught partially on video.
Three skiers were descending Haiyaha Couloir in Rocky Mountain National Park when the wind slab avalanche broke loose without warning. One member of the group was recording when the slope fractured, capturing the terrifying moment the snow gave way.
The crown fracture measured between 8 and 14 inches, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. One skier was carried away by the churning debris while desperately reaching for anything to stop their slide.
“They grabbed a tree,” officials said, explaining how the victim suffered a dislocated shoulder in the violent stop. The avalanche buried them momentarily before their two uninjured companions rushed to their location.
In a stroke of luck, the buried skier was found quickly and excavated by their friends. All three managed to treat the injured person and exit the backcountry without requiring outside emergency assistance.
The close call comes as avalanche danger remains elevated across much of Colorado’s high country. The Avalanche Information Center warned that “the potential for avalanches remains high in some areas,” particularly in regions with deeper snowpack like the Park Range, Elk Mountains, and West Elk Mountains.
Experts urge backcountry travelers to check conditions before venturing out, carry proper rescue equipment including beacons, probes, and shovels, and travel with experienced partners who know how to respond when things go wrong.
Saturday’s incident could have ended much differently. Burial times of just minutes can prove fatal as victims run out of oxygen beneath the dense snow.
The skier is expected to make a full recovery from their shoulder injury.
