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Avalanche kills 2 snowmobilers in Colorado

A third rider, who was partly buried, was able to free himself and alert authorities.
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The bodies of two snowmobilers who died in an avalanche in Colorado over the weekend were found Sunday, authorities said.

The Eagle County Sheriff's Office identified the victims as Dillon Block, 28, and Cesar Almanza-Hernandez, 30, both of Gypsum, Colorado.

The avalanche occurred Saturday just below 10,000 feet on a mountain in Eagle County, north of Vail, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center said in a statement.

The avalanche — which was 650 feet wide and 120 feet tall — carried the riders into a gully, where they were completely buried, the information center said.

A third rider who was partly buried was able to free himself and alert authorities shortly before 5 p.m., the information center said.

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The center said earlier that a multiday storm in the region had increased avalanche danger.

The sheriff's office said the group of snowmobilers may have triggered the avalanche.