Helicopter heading into the Middle Fork of Mineral Creek to recover avalanche victim. Photo credit DeAnne Gallegos
Silverton Medical Rescue volunteers assemble at the Ophir Pass turnoff during the recovery mission for the avalanche incident. Photo credit DeAnne Gallegos
Silverton Medical Rescue’s Rachel Lam manages the Ophir Pass turnoff command station. Photo credit DeAnne Gallegos
On Thursday, February 20th, 2025, around 1:09 pm, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office and the Silverton Medical Rescue team received a satellite emergency communications alert from a reporting party of the avalanche accident in an area locally known as “The Nose” in the Ophir Pass area.
A 41-year-old female from Crested Butte, Colorado, Sarah Steinwand, who was snowboarding...
