La MANGA– Conejos County Sheriff Garth Crowther confirmed a body was recovered today at 11:30 a.m. from the avalanche that occurred near La Manga Pass on February 25.

About eighty people, comprised of professional search and rescue teams and local residents have been searching for Antonito resident Kevin Gray, 45, a snowmobiler believed buried in the avalanche.

Crowther told the Valley Courier, “There is no better place than Conejos County and the San Luis Valley, we had all these people out on the mountain searching.”

According to the Colorado Avalanche information Center, the avalanche happened at an elevation of 10,600 feet on a 35 degree southeast facing slope. This winter, there have been seven avalanche related fatalities in Colorado.

The identity of the body recovered will be made public once a positive identification is made.

For more information, see Tuesday’s Valley Courier.