Avalanche at ski resort kills one and injures three | US News
One person is dead three others are injured from an avalanche that ravaged the Palisades Tahoe ski resort in northern California.
The avalanche happened around 9.30am on Wednesday on the Palisades side above the GS gully section of the KT-22 slope, according to the resort.
‘Our Patrol and mountain operations teams are performing a search at this time,’ Palisdes Tahoe wrote on X (formerly Twitter) shortly before 11am. ‘Both sides of our mountain will be closed for the day.’
Around 1.45pm, the resort provided an update that a male skier ‘sustained fatal injuries’ and was pronounced dead by Tahoe Forest Hospital. Three other skiers suffered non-life threatening injuries and were treated and released.
‘The entire Palisades Tahoe team, including all of the first responders, extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of those involved in the incident,’ stated the resort.
Ski patrol ‘responded immediately to the scene and completed a thorough search of the area’ with more than 100 resort personnel, avalanche transceivers, rescue dog teams, RECCO Rescue System technology, and the help of the public, Palisades Tahoe said.
The avalanche covered 450 feet and was 10 feet deep, said the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the avalanche.
The man who died was visiting and staying at the resort, officials told the Daily Mail. His identity was not immediately released.
A winter storm has been impacting the Tahoe area and gusts at the top of the ridge were expected to reach 100mph on Wednesday.
Weather forecaster Mark Sponsler said ‘multiple’ people were buried in the avalanche that was triggered within minutes of the KT-22 slope opening for the first time this season.
‘Apparently the first group of skiers up the lift skied down in the bowl under the lift, triggering a massive avalanche that spanned the width of the entire bowl,’ Sponsler, who is based at the resort, wrote on Instagram.
Palisades Tahoe is on the western side of Lake Tahoe in Olympic. It is where the 1960 Winter Olympics were held.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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