MESA COUNTY, Colo. -- Two cross country skiers have been rescued off Grand Mesa, near Grand Junction, after getting caught in an avalanche.

Mesa County search and rescue needed a helicopter to rescue 35-year-old Seth Anderson and 40-year-old Ann Driggers, both from Grand Junction.

The two were caught in an avalanche around 1 p.m. Wednesday. It happened southeast of Grand Junction, below the Thunderbird trail near Palisade Point.

Anderson and Driggers were flown off the Grand Mesa and taken to St. Mary's Hospital at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

According to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, Anderson may have two broken legs. Driggers was not hurt in the avalanche. The two were able to call for help with a cell phone. Mesa County sheriff's deputies, the Palisade Fire Department and the Powderhorn Ski Patrol all helped in the search and rescue.

According to Heather Benjamin of the Mesa County Sheriff's Office, snowmobiles were the only way to get to the injured skier by ground because of the depth of the snow and the remoteness of the area.

This is the third search and rescue mission for rescuers in that area this year.