The Summit County Rescue Group rescued three people Sunday night after they were caught in hazardous weather conditions that could have resulted in an avalanche, the group said Monday.

“All three rescue subjects were very lucky not to have been killed or injured in an avalanche,” the Summit County Rescue Group said. “We and the rescue subjects dodged a bullet.”

The first rescue resulted from two skiers using a rope to descend themselves from the saddle on Mount Royal into the Coin Slot where they planned to ski.

Once the two made it down, the snow suddenly fractured below them. The two were now stuck with no way of ascending back into the saddle.

Nine technical team members from the rescue group evacuated the skiers by pulling them back up to the saddle.

The second rescue mission was for an overdue hiker on Quandary Peak. The rescue group located the hiker after a couple of hours of searching.

The hiker was uninjured and on his way down the East Ridge Trail; however, he had traveled through waist-deep snow in a 40-degree north couloir alone with no avalanche safety equipment.

These rescues come amid a particularly deadly ski and snowboard season, with four experienced skiers dying in avalanches so far.

“We implore you all to check and heed the avalanche forecast before you venture out,” the Summit County Rescue Group said. “The current snowpack is nothing to be trifled with, and it isn’t going to get better anytime soon.”

The Summit County Rescue Group is currently accepting donations to fund its efforts at scrg.org.