A Front Range man was killed in an apparent ATV crash on Glacier Ridge near Georgia Pass this Labor Day weekend.
Summit County Sheriff’s Office reports Jose Alfredo Lopez-Diaz, 49, of Arvada, was riding solo on Sunday, Aug. 31 when he likely crashed, ending up beneath his ATV. He was wearing a helmet and “appeared properly equipped for his day in the backcountry,” the sheriff’s office said. No one saw the incident.
An unrelated group found Lopez-Diaz unresponsive and messaged for help with a satellite messaging device. There is little to no cell phone coverage in that area of the Continental Divide.
Rescuers arrived and could not resuscitate Lopez-Diaz. He was pronounced dead on scene.
“Satellite messengers are an important tool for backcountry safety,” Summit County sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said in a statement. “While this incident ended in tragedy, satellite messengers are often the only way to summon help when outside of cell service. In this case, passersby used their devices to get help and remained on scene to assist with the investigation. They did everything they could, and their efforts are commendable.”