Two men trapped in an avalanche while sliding down a hill were rescued after nearly seven hours under 6 feet of snow, authorities said. ``These guys are very lucky. It was a stupid move on their part,'' said police Officer John Chilton. Passers-by dug out Brett Woods, 24, and Keith Kathcart, 19, late Sunday after hearing screams and seeing a glove resting atop the snow near the Chapman Hill ski area. The two were hospitalized in good condition Monday. Close to 3 feet of snow had fallen in southwest Colorado by Sunday, prompting the Avalanche Warning Center in Denver to warnings throughout the weekend. Woods and Kathcart were sliding down a steep embankment when the snow slide occurred. They were admitted to Mercy Medical Center with hypothermia and muscle injuries, authorities said. Woods' body temperature had dropped to 91 degrees after the accident, while Kathkart's was 87, said Dr. Mack Johnson. ``I guess under the circumstances, they were in pretty good condition,'' said Frank Mackey of the Fire Department. ``They could talk and one of them walked to the ambulance.'' Andy Loving of the Avalanche Warning Center said the U.S record for surviving snow burial is nine hours. ``After 30 minutes of burial, the chances of survival are reduced by half,'' he said. ``They must have had some kind of air space around them.''
