The Official Story of the Ravine Group
Zolotaryov, Dubinina, and Thibeaux-Brignolle died as they tried to build a shelter, not knowing they were digging a perch of snow over a ravine. As they dug, the snow shelf collapsed into the raving, causing them to drop about nine feet onto rocks, fatally injuring them. Kolevatov was found in the ravine as well, but did not sustain the crash injuries of the other three. The official cause of death was hypothermia for most of the hikers, with Thibeaux-Brignolle, Zolotaryov, and Dubinina sustaining fatal injuries similar to a car crash. But the official story has a major hole. What was that “compelling natural force” that drove the students from the protection of their tent? For over sixty years, this has been a puzzle for amateur sleuths, case experts, and scientists.