Found bodies likely missing snowboarders
By John C. Ensslin, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published June 16, 2008 at 5:31 p.m.
Updated June 16, 2008 at 4:19 p.m.
Searchers in Mineral County today recovered two bodies thought to be those of snowboarders who have been missing since Jan. 4 from near the Wolf Creek Ski Area.
The father of one of the two missing men confirmed this afternoon that one body had been found, but said authorities have not been able yet to identify the remains.
About three hours later, friends of the two men and Wolf Creek Ski Area owner Davey Pitcher confirmed that a second body had been found.
Michael George and his friend Kyle Kerschen, both 27 of Albuquerque, N.M., had been snowboarding in the area when they failed to meet family and friends. Neither man had been prepared for a long backcountry outing.
They disappeared at a time when the area was hit by a storm that dumped 49 inches of snow and when temperatures dipped to 11 degrees.
On Monday, friends and family members of both men were gathered at the ski area, awaiting the latest word on the search.
George, who worked as a nail technician at an Albuquerque salon, had snowboarded for a decade but not much in the months prior to his disappearance, his mother Laura George said during an interview in early January.
At the time, searchers found Kerschen's car in a ski area parking lot where it had been left overnight.
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June 16, 2008
4:58 p.m.
davies writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 16, 2008
5:07 p.m.
Suggest removal
DerbyBound writes:
Dude--holding and working on the hands of women all day? That's genius. Kind of like Warren Beatty cutting hair.
June 16, 2008
5:08 p.m.
Suggest removal
TheDenverB writes:
thanks for contributing absolutely nothing to the discussion but your own bad and rather obtuse gay joke about a man who has been missing since January and is now dead in the backcountry of Colorado. .
you're a real champion of the RMN comment forum.
June 16, 2008
5:18 p.m.
Suggest removal
zivo24 writes:
You said it, DenverB...
Two young men suffered and died horrible deaths and their families have spent months agonizing over what happened to them.
But god forbid two immature callous jerks pass up the opportunity to make pathetic attempts at humor...
I have other names for these two...but they'd be against the ground rules.
June 16, 2008
5:51 p.m.
Suggest removal
DerbyBound writes:
I wasn't making a joke....I was sticking up for the guy. Sorry if it came off wrong.
June 16, 2008
8:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
ifyouonlynew writes:
PLEASE no bickering or bad trash talking these families are going through alot and it has been a long rough road. And the sadness and pain is only just begun. PLEASE pray for the Michael and Kyle, their friends and of course the FAMILIES. Michael loved his job and many people loved him it is nothing to play with and please keep your comments to yourself unless it is something positive or encouraging to the families. MAY GOD BLESS THEM ALL AND GIVE THEM THE STRENGTH THEY NEED TO GO ON.