GRAND COUNTY, Colo. -- A Denver metro firefighter lost his life while trying to save an Arvada teen when both were caught in an avalanche over the weekend.

The two were part of a group snowmobiling near Gravel Mountain in Arapaho National Forest .

The South Metro Fire Rescue Authority said that one of the victims of Saturday's avalanche was Brian Kopp, a 38-year-old firefighter from Larkspur.

The other was identified as 19-year-old Mark Goetz.

After the slide hit, Kopp turned back to help his friend’s son when he was also caught by the slide.

"Brian was a firefighter at heart. That's what he loved to do, and he was willing to help in any manner he could," said Battalion Chief Bob Herdt. "And in this case, I believe he gave his life for that."

Both men were buried and did not survive, said a South Metro Fire representative.

The Grand County Sheriff’s Office said Goetz and Kopp got stuck while trying to high-mark, a popular activity by snowmobilers where the operator tries to ride as far up a steep mountain slope as possible. Authorities said the two got stuck and Goetz’ father rode up to help them when he triggered the slide.

South Metro is based in Centennial.

"He had a real passion for helping people," said friend and Paramedic Michael Porter. He said that it was that passion that more than likely propelled Brian to turn back to help his fellow snowmobiler.

Kopp started his career with South Metro Fire Rescue in 2000 as a firefighter and later became a paramedic. "Brian always tried to be the best at whatever he did including being a paramedic," Porter said.

Kopp is survived by wife, Jennifer; son, Alan, 11; daughter Elli, 11; his parents; a brother; sister; three stepbrothers, and two stepsisters.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said the avalanche danger is beginning to taper-off but the danger is still considerable.

On Saturday another snowmobiler triggered a large avalanche on Vail Pass. No one was injured.

“Some of the chunks in that avalanche were as big as a van,” said Ethan Greene, Executive Director, of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. “It is not the light fluffy stuff that falls out of the sky; it is really hard, dense material. It can cause a lot of damage from those chunks.”

Greene said the Vail Pass slide is an example of the danger present this year.

“What makes this season a little more dangerous, is that we had a little bit of snow in October that caused weak basal layer for our snowpack; so the foundation layer is quite weak and when we get a series of storms like we have the foundation can crumble.”

An avalanche killed a skier at a Wyoming ski resort over the weekend.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort spokeswoman Anna Olson saidDavid Nodine, of Wilson, was skiing down an expert trail with a companion Saturday when the avalanche buried him under 8 feet of snow. The companion was not injured.

Olson says ski patrollers found Nodine within six minutes but could not revive him. The 31-year-old was pronounced dead at a clinic at the resort base.

Olson says ski patrol had taken precautions to reduce avalanche danger in the area.

At least six people have died in U.S. avalanches this season.

Pitkin County, where Aspen is the county seat, has the distinction of being the deadliest county in the deadliest state, according to the Aspen Daily News.

Thirty-seven people died in avalanches in Pitkin County between 1950 and 2007. There were 36 avalanche deaths in Summit County during that same period.

There were 281 avalanche deaths in Colorado during that period, followed by Alaska, with 173 avalanche deaths.