A 29-year-old Telluride man died in an avalanche in the Poverty Gulch area Thursday, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office.
The avalanche happened south of Trout Lake, about five miles southwest of the town of Ophir, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).
Around 3 p.m., Telluride Helitrax, a local heli-ski outfitter, was flying in the Trout Lake area and spotted evidence of an avalanche. The crew saw a single set of tracks going into the slide area but none coming out, the sheriff's office said.
A search and rescue mission was launched while Helitrax began an aerial beacon search. The sheriff's office said the Helitrax crew detected a signal and landed their helicopter. They then found a snowboarder who had been buried in the debris. He was under two meters of snow, according to the CAIC.
Search and rescue members were flown in to recover the body.
The man has been identified as Devin Overton, 29, of Telluride. He was snowboarding alone at the time, according to the CAIC. The sheriff's office said next of kin have been notified.
CAIC will visit the scene on Friday to gather more information on the slide.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office extended condolences to Overton's family and friends.
According to the CAIC, avalanche danger was rated at moderate at and above treeline for the Northern San Juan Mountain Forecast zone Thursday.
