Two separate incidents resulted in fatalities on the slopes of Heavenly on Friday. Photo: Instagram//Heavenly
A deadly winter for skiing in California turned even more somber on Friday as two skiers passed away on the slopes of Heavenly in South Lake Tahoe. At least 19 people have died this winter in the Sierra Nevada.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said two skiers died in separate incidents at the resort. Reports say one of the deaths was a 58-year-old man who suffered a medical emergency, while the other was a 33-year-old man who passed away on an intermediate trail.
“Both decedents were transported to the base area by Heavenly Ski Patrol,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Life-saving measures were attempted by ski patrol and Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District paramedics; however, both individuals were pronounced deceased at the scene.”
The cause of death and identities of the victims have not been released.
The deaths are the latest in a slew of fatal accidents in the Sierra Nevada. Just one day before the Heavenly accidents, Northstar, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, recorded its third death within two weeks when a 21-year-old San Jose State student was found deceased. The skier, identified as Colin Kang of Fremont, California, is believed to have fallen into a tree well.
Earlier in the week, nine skiers died in a backcountry avalanche near Castle Peak off Donner Summit. Six of the deceased were mothers on a ski trip, and the other three were guides with the company Blackbird Mountain Guides. Six other skiers survived the avalanche. A snowmobiler passed away in the same area earlier in the season.
Elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada, Mammoth Mountain has also had a string of accidents, recording four deaths this winter. Most recently, a skier died in a dangerous chute, and a ski patrolman died in an avalanche.
The Sierra Avalanche Center, which had issued a level 4 “high” risk alert before last week’s storm, has downgraded to a level 3, “considerable” risk. However, they warn that the risk is likely to increase as a new system moves in on Tuesday.
“Blowing and drifting snow has led to unstable wind slabs in areas that have filled in with drifted snow,” Monday’s alert reads. “Weak layers deep in the snowpack remain unstable in some areas. Consider avoiding avalanche terrain in areas where wind slabs exist, near any areas where you have triggered any snowpack collapses or audible whumping, or where recent avalanches have occurred. HIGH avalanche danger is expected tomorrow due to a significant rain on snow event.”
