One person was killed and another injured in an avalanche at the Palisades Tahoe ski resort in Lake Tahoe, Calif. on Wednesday morning.
Sgt. David Smith, a spokesperson for the Placer Counter Sheriff’s Office (PSCO), said during apress conferencethat a male skier suffered fatal injuries while the other “sustained minor non-life threatening injuries.”
Smith said they are not releasing any information about the deceased individual until after the coroner finishes its investigation.
Palisades Tahoe avalanche on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Tahoe, Calif.AP Photo/Andy Barron
AP Photo/Andy Barron
“No further missing persons have been reported,” the PCSO shared in aFacebook statement. “We have come to the conclusion that there is nobody else up on the mountain,” Smith said during the press conference.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. and was “approximately 150 feet wide, 450 feet long and 10 feet deep,” the sheriff’s office said in theFacebook statement.
At the time of the avalanche, the Olympic Valley Fire Department responded to the Palisades Tahoe ski resort’s report that there was an avalanche. The incident occurred on the Palisades side of the mountain in the GS Bowl, per the PCSO press release.
The avalanche slide occurred on the right side of the KT-22 chairlift, the resort announced in apress release.
The fire department recruited help from both the PCSO and the Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol. During their search and rescue mission, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue led a search on the west side of the mountain.
“More than 100 Palisades personnel participated in a beacon search, and two probe lines have been completed,” read the PCSO Facebook statement. “The mountain is closed for the remainder of the day.”
Palisades Resort CEO and President Dee Byrne said during the press conference that the rescue teams still have “a lot to learn” regarding the incident. “This is a very sad day for my team and everyone here.”
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“@CAL_FIREis moving resources and personnel to help with rescue efforts and will continue close coordination with Olympic Valley and Placer County,” read the post.
Representatives for Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Palisades Tahoe ski resort did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information on Wednesday.
source: people.com
