One person was killed and another was injured in an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, California on Wednesday morning.
Sergeant David Smith, spokesman for the Placer Counter Sheriff’s Office (PSCO), said during a press conference that the skier suffered fatal injuries, while the other “suffered minor, non-life-threatening injuries.”
Smith said he would not release any information about the deceased person until the coroner’s office completes its investigation.
Michael Gross, vice president of mountain operations at Palisades Tahoe, added that two other people were “caught sliding” and “pulled out” by other skiers.
The Palisades Tahoe avalanche on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, in Tahoe, California.
AP Photo/Andy Barron
“No further missing persons have been reported,” the PCSO said in a statement on Facebook. “We’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no one left up on the mountain,” Smith said during a news conference.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. and was “approximately 150 feet wide, 450 feet long and 10 feet deep,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook statement.
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At the time of the avalanche, the Olympic Valley Fire Department responded to a report from Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort that an avalanche had occurred. The incident happened on the Palisades side of the GS Bowl, according to a PCSO news release.
The avalanche occurred on the right side of seat KT-22, the resort announced.
Firefighters enlisted the help of both PCSO and the Palisades Tahoe Ski Patrol. During its search and rescue mission, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue conducted a search on the west side of the mountain.
“More than 100 Palisades personnel participated in the search of the crankshafts, and two lines of probes were completed,” PCSO said in a statement on Facebook. “The mountain is closed until the end of the day.”
Palisades Resort CEO and President Dee Byrne said during a news conference that rescue teams still have “a lot to learn” about the incident. “It’s a very sad day for my team and everyone here.”
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Furthermore, California Governor Gavin Newson shared x (formerly known as Twitter) that “the state monitors and stands by”.
“@CAL_FIRE is moving resources and personnel to assist in rescue efforts and will continue to coordinate closely with Olympic Valley and Placer County,” the release said.
Representatives for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information on Wednesday.
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