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Stuck snowmobilers found in snow cave near Aspen

Stuck snowmobilers found in snow cave near Aspen
Posted at 5:26 AM, Feb 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-02-11 07:26:52-05

Three stuck snowmobilers were found safe in a snow cave near Aspen.

The men got a message to the Iridium Satellite Phone Center Tuesday night that they got their snowmobiles stuck and needed help.

"Satellite phone reception was sporadic and thereby the information received was incomplete," the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office said. "Information was relayed to the Sheriff's Office that all three were uninjured and on snowshoes headed for the Goodwin-Greene Hut."

Wednesday morning, Mountain Rescue Aspen deployed three volunteers on snowmobiles and the
Pitkin County Sheriff's Office deployed a deputy on a snowmobile, to look for the group.

At approximately 10 a.m., the missing snowmobilers were found in a snow cave in the Bowman Creek drainage, about a 1/2 mile from the Goodwin-Greene Hut.

The rescuers got the snowmobiles unstuck and got two men from Pennsylvania and James Phiel from Englewood safely out.

"The Pitkin Sheriff’s Office and Mountain Rescue Aspen wish to stress to the community and its visitors to seek professional advice and guidance before venturing into the high country during the winter months," officials said.

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