CT Man, 2 Others Killed During Avalanche In Washington: Police

CONNECTICUT — A 53-year-old Connecticut man was one of three people killed during an avalanche in the state of Washington, according to the Chelan County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Mike Morrison said that on Feb. 20, deputies were contacted at the CCSO Leavenworth substation about an avalanche that occurred near Colchuck Lake the previous day, according to officials.

A 53-year-old Maryland man reported the group he was with had attempted to climb Colchuck Peak on Sunday. There were six climbers in that group, and the reporting party had stayed at their base camp that day.

"The lead climber triggered an avalanche while attempting to climb the Northeast Couloir of Colchuck Peak," authorities said in a news release. "Four of the climbers were swept down the couloir approximately 500 feet. Three of the climbers died as a result of trauma sustained in the fall. They were a 60-year-old female from New York, a 66-year-old male from New Jersey, and a 53-year-old male from Connecticut."

Authorities have not yet released the identities of the three people killed.

The fourth climber, a 56-year-old man from New York, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was able to hike back to base camp with the remaining two climbers, officials said. The other climbers were a 50-year-old man from New York and a 36-year-old man from New Jersey.

When they arrived at camp, they sent the reporting party for help. A total of 22 rescuers responded to the trailhead to assist. They determined that avalanche conditions were too hazardous to continue to the deceased climbers, officials said. They escorted the surviving climbers back to the trailhead.

Rescuers were not sent back to the scene Tuesday due to hazardous conditions, officials said. Recovery efforts are expected to continue later in the week.

Colchuck Peak sits at the South end of Colchuck Lake approximately eight miles south of Leavenworth, WA.