Aspen, CO – A member of the University of Colorado’s top-ranked alpine ski team died Saturday in a freak climbing accident near Aspen, the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office has reported.nSpencer James Nelson, 20, of Winter Park, Colo., was downclimbing the Maroon Bells in a group that included his father when he was struck in the head by a falling rock at about 13,000 feet of elevation and tumbled over 600 feet down the Bell Chord couloir. He was wearing a helmet at the time.

During the incident, Nelson disappeared from sight. A rescue effort was undertaken by Mountain Rescue Aspen, the Aspen Volunteer Fire Department, the Pitkin County Sheriff, the U.S. Forest Service, Flight for Life and a Blackhawk helicopter from the Colorado National Guard. His body was located Saturday afternoon by two off-duty members of Mountain Rescue Aspen who happened to be hiking in the area.

Recovery efforts were suspended Saturday due to nightfall and were to resume today.