Out-of-state snowboarder rescued from out-of-bounds terrain

Rescuers used drones and explosives to work their way down steep terrain during a snowstorm Wednesday evening to rescue a cliffed-out snowboarder.

Ski patrollers were notified that the snowboarder, a 36-year-old man from Atlanta, was stuck but uninjured just after 3:30 p.m. The snowboarder was located below the Deception ski run of the double-black Olympic Bowl on the resort's western reaches.

According to a press release from the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, ski patrol members were able to reach the snowboarder via cell phone. They learned he had stopped among cliff bands known locally as "The Staircase."

"The subject was uninjured but in a precarious position roughly 1200 vertical feet above the Maroon Creek Valley floor," PCSO's press release stated. 

Ski patrollers reached the man at about 5:40 p.m., just as the National Weather Service issued a snow squall warning for the Aspen area. 

Aspen received 10" of new snow in the last 24 hours, per CBS4 meteorologists. At the time of the rescue, winds were gusting between 25 and 30 mph. 

As darkness set in, the ski patrollers asked for assistance from Mountain Rescue Aspen. Sixteen MRA personnel responded and used at least one drone to scout a safe downhill path through "The Staircase." 

The ski patrollers also threw small explosives downhill ahead of their group to mitigate avalanche risk. 

The stranded snowboarder was safely escorted off the mountain by 10:30 p.m.

In the press release, the sheriff's office and rescuers suggested backcountry recreationalists avoid traveling into unfamiliar terrain, but if they chose to do so, that they seek training beforehand, carry proper equipment, and be prepared to spend the night unsupported in winter conditions.