EAGLE COUNTY, Colorado – The three people who were killed in an avalanche while skiing in the San Juan Mountains on Monday were identified as three Eagle County government employees.
Seth Bossung, manager of energy efficiency projects at Eagle County; Andy Jessen, professional mayor of Eagle City; and Adam Palmer, director of sustainable communities at Eagle County, were named as the victims of a major avalanche that broke out between Silverton and Ophir.
“Our hearts are heavy with the loss of these three men. His contributions through his work in local government and local businesses, as well as his personal passions and his impact on the friends and family he left behind, helped to shape the community in ways that will last forever, ”said county officials. Eagle in a joint statement on Wednesday afternoon.
City and county officials said that while an official announcement was not made by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, the families of the three men shared their names “so that we can all openly acknowledge their deaths and suffer together”.
“The strength of our community is rooted in our shared love for this place and for the people who live here. Andy, Adam and Seth exemplified this every day. Find ways to safely meet and share your stories of them and others. We will do the same ”, they wrote.
Eagle Mayor Scott Turnipseed discusses three county officers killed in avalanche
Eagle Mayor Scott Turnipseed gave a news conference Wednesday afternoon to discuss the loss of the three men, who he said he knew very well about his time in government and architecture.
Almost 100 people attended the virtual press conference, which Turnipseed said “just give me an indication of how it affected so many people not just locally, but regionally”.
Turnipseed read the joint statement released by the city and the county on Wednesday, fighting tears.
“It is very, very difficult for me to be in the position I am in now, transmitting this information to everyone. But I felt strongly that we needed to do this, ”he said.
He asked the city and county to come together, as they always do, to support the families of the three men, but also to respect their privacy. He said the community would come together to cry when possible, but said that crying together would be more difficult because of COVID-19.
Turnipseed described Jessen as an “advanced thinker and a great guy” whom he said he “would miss very, very much” on the city council, where Jessen had been for four years.
He said he spent years working to convince Palmer to join the city council before he was elected last spring and called Palmer “a great person” with whom he spent a lot of time.
Bossung was a fellow architect that Turnipseed had known well through this sector. He described him as “just a kind and kind person”.
“I’m sorry I broke it. I just want everyone to know that there is a very personal connection here, ”said Turnipseed. “Our whole heart – everyone in the city – goes to their families, their friends, their loved ones. We are here for them. “
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday night that the search for missing skiers is officially a recovery effort. Authorities know where the bodies are located, but said it would be “a big effort” to remove them.
Eagle County officials said on Wednesday afternoon that they are still waiting for formal notification from San Juan County that the bodies have been recovered.
DeAnne Gallegos, of the San Juan County Emergency Management Office, told Denver7 that she hoped the recovery effort would continue until Thursday, as bad weather conditions and the danger of avalanche remained.
“The three missing skiers were located. They used headlights. It is a matter of the depth of the avalanche at the accident site, the terrain, and so we are experimenting with natural avalanches running around the accident area,” said Gallegos.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said Tuesday morning that seven people were traveling in an area known as The Nose, around Middle Fork Mineral Creek.
Telluride Helitrax and Colorado Avalanche Information Center
In total, four people were captured, carried and totally buried in the rubble. One person was found and had minor injuries. Three others were still missing on Tuesday, CAIC said.
Search and rescue operations began on Monday at 5:20 pm and lasted all night until Tuesday morning.
The avalanche was launched on a hillside facing northeast at 11,500 feet, which is around the tree line.
On Tuesday morning, a Helitrax helicopter was carrying out avalanche mitigation in the area so that rescue operations could be resumed.
The avalanche danger in the hinterland is listed as “considerable” in most central and southern mountains. Click here to check the avalanche forecast before exploring the hinterland.
