A tragic avalanche incident occurred in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado on Thursday, resulting in the death of a snowboarder, marking the fourth avalanche-related fatality in the western U.S. over the past week due to recent heavy snowfall.

The victim, identified as 41-year-old Sarah Steinwand from Crested Butte, was engulfed by the snow while she was snowboarding in the backcountry near Silverton. Fortunately, a male skier who was accompanying her managed to escape from the avalanche’s grip, according to reports from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Nearby, staff members from a backcountry hut witnessed the avalanche unfold and quickly alerted search and rescue teams while also assisting the skier in digging Steinwand out of the snow.

Earlier in the week, three individuals lost their lives in avalanche incidents: one near Lake Tahoe in California and two backcountry skiers in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon.

Avalanche risk had been notably high across many mountainous regions in Colorado earlier this week, though conditions have shown some improvement in certain areas.