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Avalanche victim found near
St. Elmo
by Kristen M. White
Mail Staff WriterA 33-year-old Peyton man died
Wednesday after he was caught in an avalanche 12 miles south of St. Elmo about
1 p.m. The victim, Jeff Rusk, is the second person in two weeks to die in an
avalanche in Chaffee County.
Sheriff Tim Walker reported Rusk and three friends,
Seth Chiddix, 31 and Shane Chiddix, 30, both of Peyton, and Rod Snow, 47,
Colorado Springs, were on a snowmobile trip in the Hancock Pass area when the
avalanche occurred. Seth Chiddix, Shane Chiddix and Snow escaped the slide,
but Rusk was reported missing and was “suspected to be in the bottom of the
avalanche,” Walker reported. The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Search and
Rescue, Buena Vista and Salida snowmobile clubs attempted to locate Rusk
Wednesday, but were unsuccessful.
The teams, augmented by avalanche dogs from Gunnison,
Summit and Fremont counties, resumed the search Thursday morning. The [dog
team from Crested Butte, Sue Purvis and Tasha] alerted searchers about 10 a.m.
Thursday [to the location of Rusk’s body].
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“I was really
impressed with the dogs. We got up there and within about 30 minutes they found
him,” Walker said.
Rusk was trapped about 4 feet under the snow, “right in the middle of the
slide,” Walker said. The snowmobile Rusk was riding was located about 8 feet
away. Shane Chiddix estimated the avalanche at about 400-600 yards wide and
about 400 yards long. He estimated the depth at the lower end of the avalanche
at 12-15 feet, Walker said.
Rusk was taken to Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home.
“I strongly encourage anybody who may want to travel into remote areas to
contact the Avalanche Information Center and local law enforcement for avalanche
information,” Walker said, “and use extra caution when traveling.”
Three Denver men on a cross-country ski trip near Vicksburg Feb. 22 were buried
by an avalanche. One of the victims later died. |