Missing snowboarder found alive at Heavenly
Updated: 9:35am.
By Kathryn Reed
The snowboarder who went missing at Heavenly Mountain Resort on New Year’s Eve was located about 2:30am New Year’s Day, according to resort officials.
“He ducked the rope off Canyon chair, which we obviously don’t recommend or condone. That is what we have backcountry gates for,” Russ Pecoraro, Heavenly spokesman, told Lake Tahoe News Saturday morning.
El Dorado County sheriff’s search and rescue crews on snowmobiles located the individual. The sheriff’s department is the lead agency, not the resort. Law enforcement continues not to return phone calls.
The male, whose age and hometown are unknown, was found in High Meadow curled up in a ball. He was brought to a road where medics from Lake Valley Fire Department assessed him. According to fire officials, the snowboarder refused treatment and did not want to be transported to a hospital.
With snow starting to fall early this morning in the basin and overnight lows in single digits, it’s possible this could have been a recovery instead of a rescue.
About 6 inches have fallen at lake level on the South Shore as of 8:30am.
Ski conditions outside designated trails are precarious because of the amount of snow that has fallen this season as well as the temperatures and consistency of the snow.
For those venturing in the backcountry, be sure to check with the Sierra Avalanche Center for current conditions. Today is rated moderate.
With storms coming one right after another, it makes it difficult for rescuers to find a missing person. This is because tracks get covered, conditions prohibit crews from going out and the missing person is not likely to be equipped to cope with such conditions for an extended period of time. Lake Tahoe had its first fatality of the season this week when a snowboarder was found in a tree well at Alpine Meadows.
A winter weather advisory remains in effect until 10 this morning. Snow is expected to taper off this afternoon, with another storm rolling in Sunday.
I don’t understand why skiers and riders continue to ski out of bounds. The boundaries are up for a reason, get a clue! The recent death of the young woman at Alpine didn’t faze this person apparently.
Look at all the search and rescue volunteers that had to cancel their New Year’s Eve plans to try and save someone’s life. Thank you to all that hiked the snow to find them …I hope you send the stupid rider the bill!
This guy is so lucky! I believe he was really on the brink of life or death. Hope he sees that, and makes better choices from here on out.
Maybe some education is called for. what if Heavenly offered and “Introduction to the Back Country” class every Saturday for 1 hour. Disclaimer the H*ll out of it, and basically run down what is required to safely go into the back country:
1. Check conditions
2. Have the proper equipment
3. Never go alone
4. Know and understand the terrain
I have never been in the back country, yet I know that much! I’m sure there is more.
They could give the attendees a handout with resources for: further instruction, guide services, equipment, in-bounds alternatives, etc
The more educated people out there, the better, an attendee of such a class could even save another’s life, just by spreading what he learned.
On behalf of El Dorado County taxpayers, make sure this yokel is sent the bill for all the people and equipment that had to be called out on a snowy, cold New Year’s Eve.
I believe Search and Rescue is mostly volunteers, with Sheriff leaders. Hopefully a hugh bill will be sent to this idiot. So when the bill IS paid, where does the money go? Just wondering?
One has to question these people who leave the trails – get a clue!
Why is it expected that we need to go help find and save these people and place others at risk. They got themselves into this mess by breaking the rules, perhaps they can get themselves out. It just becomes natural selection at work
I agree with 30yearlocal, send him the bill!
LOL, Natural Selection ;) We definitely are interfering with nature, but then we interfere with it across all our lives, I guess that’s just part of a modern civilization :)
As much as we’d like, we can’t go back to keeping the strongest and smartest, so we must deal with what we have.
Wow, what if it was your kid. Think you are above all this. You aren’t. Nice opinions though…
Thankyou Kathyn for the great article, I was actually there. His first time at Heavenly he made a mistake by not following his friends in search of fresh Pow. No snowmobiles were used. He was on the verge of death, buried over head high in pow in the gully 1/2 mile down. 1 helicopter flew over him a dozen times and did not find him. 1 OUTSTANDING police officer was organizing the entire search from his vehicle. and 2 very professional rescue men were dropped off by cat at the point he was last seen, they found him and hiked him out for 1 hour.
HE will get the bill that saved his life. Not costing the taxpayers.
My friend would not be alive right now, if it wasn’t for them. So thank you to the Search and Rescue team for sacrificing one night to save a life
I think Darwin sounds more like Hitler. have a little compassion for a young person who made a mistake and is so thankful to be alive. thanks so much for the people who searched and found him alive so he can be home with his family. Take a deep breathe and calm down people.
We are sooooo fortunate to have such highly skilled and selfless VOLUNTEERS on the Search and Rescue team here at the Lake!!! Additionally a full time helo team provided by CalStar is a coup!!!!
What is wrong with you people? Someone makes a mistake and you say “natural selection”? Who’s really the idiot? Thank you to the search and rescue team for bringing him home safely to his family. Did you ever stop to think about his Mother or siblings when saying these cruel things? Shame on you and God Bless those who saved his life.
Hello…Darwinism…natural selection, are you kidding me? What neanderthal thinks like that?…This country is still a Democracy based on Judo-Christian values in which we look out for our fellow man, especially a young kid still learning the ropes of life and where the boundaries are. Thank God it did not cost him his life and thank God most people still have kind and loving hearts who go out of their way to help others who have made mistakes…but as for you unforgiving infantile narcisistic perfectionists who have never been young or broken a rule or made a mistake…you can go live in your world of self centered entitlement and just pray you never need my help!!!
OMG! Are you kidding me! Thank goodness the search and rescue team did not feel the way some of you do. He is a young kid who made a mistake. I am thankful for the search and rescue team for saving his life and sparing his family the lose of a family member at this time of the year. Welcome home!
Glad you are home safe and sound. It must have been very scary for you and your family. Thank you to the search and rescue workers.
to careaboutthecommunity:
Your first comment was helpful.
Yours second comment totally wiped out the good info you gave out. I guess when you say that you careaboutthecommunity you mean the buildings and streets etc. not people. Love the smiley faces and “lol”. I guess it was kind of funny to you that a young kid almost died and maybe in your opinion he should have, grow up.