Zach McAllister and Spooner

Zach McAllister, who grew up on the slopes of Sierra-at-Tahoe, died unexpectedly Nov. 12, 2016. He was 26.

Zach was born and raised in South Lake Tahoe. He graduated from South Tahoe High School in 2008.

He embraced all things outdoors — skiing, camping, and mountain bike riding in particular.

From the time he was a young boy, Zach knew he wanted to be a paramedic. He went to paramedic school in Michigan and then returned to attend the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy at Lake Tahoe Community College.

In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Zach traveled to Port-au-Prince where he served as a member of the EMPACT Northwest Paramedic Volunteer Team.

He had been a firefighter-paramedic at Northstar Fire Department since 2012. He also worked as a ski patroller at Sierra-at-Tahoe for the past eight years where he was affectionately known as “Zach Mac.” Zach is credited with saving at least two lives on the mountain. His golden retriever, Spooner, is a member of the Sierra Avalanche Dog Program.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help defray costs associated with his death.

Zach is survived by his parents Mark and Susan McAllister; his long-time love, Nina Thompson; a loving extended family; and countless close friends.

A celebration of his life will be at Sierra-at-Tahoe on Dec. 9 at 5pm.