1 dead, 2 hurt as avalanche roars though popular climbing spot in Rocky Mountains

A rock fall and avalanche combined forces to kill one climber and injure two others on Mount Meeker in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, according to the National Park Service.

Identities of the two males and a female have not been released.

It was one of the two males who died in the avalanche, which erupted as other climbers watched from afar around 9 a.m. Sunday, May 29, officials said in a news release.

His body was recovered around 5:15 p.m that day by searchers “using a RECCO (radar) device and probing in avalanche debris,” officials said.

The two survivors were found “in terrain above 11,500 feet” and first responders “experienced winter like weather conditions” during the rescue, officials said.

“Due to the location and severity of injuries of one of the males, Rocky Mountain National Park Search and Rescue team members requested assistance from a Colorado National Guard helicopter ... to extricate him via a hoist operation,” the park service reported.

“This occurred at approximately 2 p.m. when there was a brief weather window. ... The man was flown to Upper Beaver Meadows, transferred to Northern Colorado Med Evac air ambulance and then flown to Medical Center of the Rockies.”

The female climber was hospitalized with minor injuries, officials said.

The incident happened near Mount Meeker’s Dreamweaver Couloir, a steep, narrow gully on the north face that is considered less prone to avalanches, according to Climbinglife.com. However, the rock face is also known to be tough for NPS Rescue Services to reach quickly, the site reports.

This story was originally published May 30, 2022 at 10:32 AM with the headline "1 dead, 2 hurt as avalanche roars though popular climbing spot in Rocky Mountains."