Four hikers were injured when they were caught in an avalanche in Colorado, authorities said Sunday.
The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office said it received information about several people who were swept into a rock field by an avalanche just after 9 a.m. Sunday at Torreys Peak, a popular hiking spot near Georgetown.
The hikers sustained minor injuries and were able to get off the mountain on their own, Sheriff Bruce Snelling said.
In the last 70 years, more than 200 people have died from avalanches in the state of Colorado.
Many mountains in Colorado at the highest points hold snow until mid-summer, and avalanches can occur at any time of the year.
Thirty-seven people were killed in avalanches in the United States during the 2020-2021 season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Center.
That’s the most deaths recorded in a single year since at least 1950, according to a database maintained by the avalanche center.
Statewide snow cover is 27% below average for this time of year, and the situation is even worse in the northern part of our state.
The previous record was 36 people killed during the winters of 2007-2008 and 2009-2010.