By Linda Williams, Willits News

Despite the crowds of skiers and snowboarders on the slopes in the Sierra-at-Tahoe it took a Willits firefighter and his daughter to save a life two weekends ago.

Chris Wilkes and his daughter went skiing on a one day trip to Tahoe and on their last run of the day heard a cry for help off the groomed slope. With no one from the ski patrol in sight and none of the other hundreds of skiers slowing down to help, Wilkes went to investigate. They couldn’t find the injured man at first as he was buried in the snow, but they could hear him call.

The off trail snowboarder had fallen through the deep snow into an eight feet deep hole into an icy creek. Wilkes could only see a waving glove to direct him to the stricken man. Wilkes and his daughter carefully approached the victim and pulled him from the creek. The man was soaked in the icy water and already suffering from hypothermia. They covered him with their coats and then tried to flag down one of the other skiers zipping by.

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