Two backcountry skiers in Colorado have died after they were caught in an avalanche in the southwestern part of the state over the weekend, officials said.
The skiers had been reported overdue from a trip near Vallecito Reservoir, located about 24 miles northeast of Durango, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) said.
Search and rescuers in La Plata County launched a helicopter in search of the missing skiers. Just before midnight, the helicopter found the site of an avalanche with tracks leading into it but not out, the center said.
Both skiers were found buried under about four feet of avalanche debris, the center said in its preliminary report.
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"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the people involved in this tragic accident," the center said.
CAIC staff visited the site of the slide on Sunday and was expected to publish its final report on the avalanche this week.
A total of six people have now been killed in avalanches in Colorado this snow season. Seven people died last year, according to the avalanche center.
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Over the weekend, most of the Colorado mountain ranges saw considerable (level 3) and moderate (level 2) avalanche conditions, FOX31 Denver reported, citing CAIC data.
Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, told the outlet that most fatal accidents occur in those mid-level conditions.
"Most of the fatal accidents in Colorado happen in those mid-levels of the danger scale, moderate or considerable," Greene told the outlet. "The most dangerous for us are triggered from people doing backcountry recreation."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
