CHAFFEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Salida, Colorado
PRESS RELEASE
February 5, 2016
On today’s date at approximately 12:18 pm the Chaffee County Communications Center received a call of an avalanche in the Cottonwood Pass area near the summit. Cottonwood Pass is in northwest Chaffee County near Buena Vista, Colorado.
According to witnesses in the area who were snowmobiling they heard what sounded like an avalanche in the Lost Lake area of Cottonwood pass. They proceeded into the area and observed a very large avalanche that had slid recently. They also observed suspicious tracks going into the slide area. They performed a cursory search of the slide and observed nothing suspicious so they proceeded out of the area.
As these same snowmobilers were travelling near the summit of Cottonwood Pass they encountered three members of the Chaffee County Search and Rescue North Unit who were in the area on avalanche training. They passed on the information in regards to the avalanche they observed, including the information about the suspicious tracks travelling into the slide. Search and Rescue North members immediately responded to the avalanche area and began a search.
A short time later the SAR members found a snow bike ski tip protruding out of the snow. They began digging the machine out of snow and located one male victim buried in the avalanche. They extricated him and began CPR immediately. CPR was performed on the victim for some time but was eventually stopped. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by a search and rescue member who is a medical doctor.
Chaffee County Coroner Randy Amettis responded to the area and took possession of the victim.
The victim killed today in the avalanche on Cottonwood Pass near Lost Lake in northern Chaffee County has been identified as Ron Brabander, a 58 year old resident of Woodland Park, Colorado.
