Avalanche kills man skiing with his father on New Year’s Eve, Colorado rescuers say

An avalanche engulfed a father and son skiing near Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado on New Year’s Eve, leaving one dead, officials said.

Nick Feinstein, 22, died while skiing with his father, University of Northern Colorado President Andy Feinstein, the university told KCNC.

The two were skiing in a backcountry area near the resort when they were swept away by an avalanche at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, the Summit County Rescue Group reported in a news release.

The father was able to dig himself out but could not find his adult son, the release said. He had to ski out to get cell reception and called 911 at 1:40 p.m.

A search and rescue team using dogs found the son’s body at 3:11 p.m., officials said. The father was taken to a clinic for treatment.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center will investigate the avalanche. It is the second fatal avalanche in Colorado this season.

Breckenridge is a community of 5,000 people about 80 miles southwest of Denver.

This story was originally published January 1, 2023 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Avalanche kills man skiing with his father on New Year’s Eve, Colorado rescuers say."