Researchers in Colorado recovered on Wednesday three skiers who were buried by an avalanche two days earlier.
Seth Bossung, Andy Jessen and Adam Palmer died in Monday’s avalanche near Silverton, Eagle city and county said in a statement.
The three have been recovered and must be removed by helicopter and taken to a medical examiner’s office for positive identification, San Juan County emergency officials said.
Eagle City and County said they had permission from the victims’ families to disclose their names so they could mourn. All three worked or were involved in the county and city government.
“Our hearts are heavy with the loss of these three men,” the city and Eagle County said in a joint statement.
The avalanche took place on Monday between the cities of Silverton and Ophir in an area known as “The Nose”, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The city of Eagle is about 160 kilometers northeast of the area.
Four people from the interior ski group were buried, but one was rescued with minor injuries.
A search effort was launched and skiers were recovered on Wednesday, according to San Juan County emergency officials.
They had headlights that helped the crew to find them. They were found buried in more than 20 feet of debris from the avalanche, the San Juan County Emergency Management Office said in a statement.
The avalanche took place in an area known as the fork in the middle of Mineral Creek, and involved launching on a slope facing northeast to about 11,500 feet of elevation, which is close to the tree line, according to the center’s report. avalanches.
Jessen was the prefect pro has for Eagle Town Council; Palmer was a board member and also director of sustainable communities in Eagle County; and Bossung was the county’s energy efficiency project manager and architect, officials said.
Jessen also owned a brewery, Bonfire Brewing, in Eagle, and all three lived in Eagle County, which is northeast of Silverton, officials said.
“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”, the city and the Eagle County said in the statement.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis joined those who mourned the loss of the three men.
“The tragically lost in this avalanche were pillars of their community, civil servants and friends for many. My thoughts are with your families, friends and the Eagle County community during what must be a heart-breaking and unimaginable time, ”said Polis in a statement.
The governor also said the state is experiencing a particularly dangerous avalanche season and encouraged people to stay informed about conditions.
In the 2020-2021 season, before Monday’s avalanche, four people died in avalanches in Colorado, according to the avalanche information center website.
