When a Colorado woman learned her husband was buried by an avalanche after failing to move in as planned, she began searching for him beneath the snow.
Donald Moden Jr., a 57-year-old veteran skier and former member of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team, was killed near Red Pass on Jan. 7, the Ouray County Plains Dealer reported. The area of "Bollywood" lost its life.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) wrote in a report that the 57-year-old may have been buried for more than four hours before being discovered.
The avalanche was 800 feet wide and moved 400 feet vertically, the agency wrote.
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On January 7, 57-year-old Donald Moden Jr. was buried by an avalanche in Ouray County, Colorado. He was likely buried in the snow for four hours before he was found dead, according to the California Avalanche Information Center. (Facebook)
When Morden's husband didn't report as scheduled, his wife contacted the Ouray County Sheriff's Office and then went to the trailhead herself. She turned on her avalanche transceiver and immediately received a response from her husband's transceiver, The Colorado Sun reported. She immediately found him with an avalanche detector and called for help to nearby skiers.
In addition to the transceiver, Morden was wearing a backpack with an avalanche airbag that never deployed, the outlet reported.
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The picture shows an aerial photo of the accident scene. According to the CAIC, Morden's descent began with a yellow circle and he was found buried under a red X. (California Avalanche Information Center)
CAIC said he was probably downhill skiing when he was engulfed by the avalanche. This was his seventh run of the day. They wrote that he was buried too deep to save himself.
"He has been skiing at Hongshan Pass for 16 years and is very familiar with the terrain of Hongshan Pass," the report said. "He chose the terrain suitable for the day based on his previous experience with slopes and snow."
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The head and toe of the Ouray County avalanche that killed Morden were on the right and left sides, respectively. (State Administration for Industry and Commerce of China)
The CAIC said Morden skied on an adjacent slope a day earlier and likely saw no signs of dangerous snow.
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Morden's death is the first reported avalanche fatality in Colorado this ski season. Since Nov. 9, CAIC has reported 25 backcountry skiers and travelers being hit by 23 different avalanches.
Seven of the victims were buried in snow and debris. According to the Colorado Sun , those numbers are not significantly higher than in previous seasons.