The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Albert Clark, 33, collapsed while climbing
In a sad turn of events, Crested Butte local Albert Clark died of unknown, non-trauma-related causes while backcountry skiing in the Coney’s Ridge area off Washington Gulch Road on Sunday, January 17. Sergeant Nate Stepanek of the Mt. Crested Butte Police Department was the officer on duty when the incident occurred. He said the initial 911 call came in at 12:25 p.m. Clark was with two female skiers, who attempted CPR until search and rescue arrived, at which point it was determined Clark had died.
Ric Ems, Fire Protection District chief and Crested Butte Search and Rescue team leader, responded to the call first, and was joined by fellow team leader Ian Hatchett and CBSAR President Nicholas Kempin. SAR team leader Randy Felix ran the operations in the field.
According to Hatchett, Clark was reported to be skinning uphill from the bottom of the main bowl, and when he rejoined his party about a third of the way up, he collapsed. One of the members of the party was able to call 911 from a cell phone, and the dispatcher talked her through CPR. The dispatchers are trained to walk people through CPR procedures when necessary, Hatchett said.
Approximately 15 local search and rescue team members were dispatched to the scene. They used snowmobiles to get as close as possible, before unconsolidated “sugar” snow forced them to don skis and skins or posthole the rest of the way. According to Felix, there was a helicopter on standby that could arrive in about a half an hour, as long as flying conditions are deemed safe. “We had pretty quick response time,” Felix said, “but it still takes us a solid half-hour to get into the field.”
Clark’s companions had already conducted CPR for at least 30 minutes by the time the SAR team was able to reach him. It was determined that Clark was deceased at that point. With the help of Clark’s party and two other skiers who were in the area, the SAR team then transported him back to the trailhead.
“It was very bothersome, a very sad scene at the trailhead,” Hatchett said. “It’s a tough mission when it’s a local, somebody we know,” Kempin added. “It’s very emotional.”
There will be a celebration of Albert’s life on Saturday, January 23 at 2 p.m. at the Depot in Crested Butte.
