This is a 3D rendered image of Vail Mountain Ski Resort, located in Vail, Colorado. The imagery was captured on February 14th, 2017. (Photo enhanced by maps4media via Getty Images)
Authorities are currently engaged in a search for a snowboarder who went missing at Vail Mountain Ski Resort on Friday. The missing individual has been identified as Connor Gill, a 26-year-old resident of Denver. Described as an intermediate snowboarder familiar with the Vail area, Gill was last seen at the Avanti Express chairlift where his pass was scanned at 8:50 a.m. on Friday. According to a friend who spoke to Vail Daily, Gill mentioned his intention to do laps in the area before disappearing without a trace.
The alarm was raised when a friend reported Gill missing to Vail Ski Patrol at 3:15 p.m. on Friday. The ski patrol team initiated search efforts immediately, with Vail Mountain Rescue joining in over the weekend. Deputies focused their search on the area where Gill’s phone last pinged and his common snowboarding routes, indicating that there was no indication he ventured out of bounds.
Despite challenging weather conditions, search and rescue teams, including the use of dogs, persisted in their efforts throughout the weekend. Strong winds and heavy snowfall complicated the search, with reports of sideways snowfall around Avanti on Sunday. Following nearly 30 inches of snowfall over the weekend, search efforts were scaled back on Monday.
Described as wearing an orange ski suit with blue accents on the top portion and a grey helmet, Gill was using a Salomon snowboard at the time of his disappearance. Authorities are urging individuals who were at Vail Mountain on Friday to review any media they captured to help determine Gill’s whereabouts before he went missing.
On Sunday, avalanche watches and special advisories were issued for numerous mountains in Colorado due to significant snow accumulation and high winds, heightening the risk of avalanches. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) warned of potential avalanches extending to the ground in areas with over 8 inches of fresh or wind-deposited snow. Backcountry travelers were advised to remain vigilant for signs of instability within the newly formed snow layers, such as cracking and collapsing.
