Search and Rescue Teams Respond to Injured Skier Out of Bounds at Heavenly

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office received a call on Feb. 19 about an injured skier below the gondola at Heavenly Mountain Resort. The search and rescue (SAR) team responded and located the skier in unmanaged avalanche terrain during high avalanche danger and a winter storm. The injured skier was able to walk carefully down the slope and was assisted by the SAR team to safety.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the dangers of skiing out of bounds and the importance of search and rescue teams in responding to emergencies in remote and hazardous areas. It also underscores the need for skiers to be aware of resort boundaries and avalanche conditions.

The details

The SAR team first conducted a careful evaluation of the hazards involved with responding to the mission in unmanaged avalanche terrain. Two team members on skis rode the gondola to visually locate the subjects, while the rest of the team transported rescue equipment to the staging area. A plan was made to access the subjects from below, hiking up the gondola line and using a rescue toboggan to evacuate the injured subject. However, the injured subject determined he could walk carefully down the slope, and the SAR skiers met the subjects part of the way down and assisted them to safety.

• On Feb. 19 at 12:30 p.m., the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office received a call about the injured skier.
• At 3:20 p.m., the SAR skiers met the subjects part of the way down the slope.
• The mission concluded at 3:45 p.m.