Missing snowboarder found dead in tree well at Alpine
By Kim Minugh and Bill Lindelof, Sacramento Bee
The search for a missing snowboarder near the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort came to a tragic conclusion this morning when rescuers found her body in a tree well, according to authorities.
Rescue helicopter crews spotted the body of 25-year-old Shawnte Marie Willis of Tahoma this morning on a part of the mountain that previously had been off-limits to rescue crews because of inclement weather, Placer County sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Ausnow said in a press conference.
Authorities believe Willis might have hit a tree while snowboarding, Ausnow said. Her body was found in a tree well.