At least one dead, one seriously injured in avalanche at Alpine Meadows – San Francisco Chronicle, Sfchronicle.com

A male skier was killed and another seriously injured Friday morning in an avalanche at the Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe, officials said.

Officials with Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows said the avalanche was reported around 10: am within an open area of ​​the resort in the area between Scott Chute and Promised Land near Scott Chair. Placer County Sheriff’s Office deputies pronounced one skier dead. Another suffered severe lower-body injuries.

No one else was injured.

Officials from several agencies, with the help of tech and avalanche rescue dogs, connected a search for any unaccounted-for individuals at about (***********************************: 728 am Witnesses said no other people had been affected and no additional persons were reported missing.

The injured person was transported to a hospital.

Officials said they did not know what caused the avalanche and were investigating. The resort received about two feet of snow over the past day, and the resort had conducted avalanche mitigation work.

“Sometimes that snow can loosen up and just roll down the hill,” said Angela Musallam, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office. “If you get buried under the snow, it is extensively tough to get out.”

Deputies were working to learn more about what happened, Musallam said, and were treating the incident as an isolated event.

In a social media post, ski resort operations staff said the resort’s upper mountains received more than two feet of snow in hours from early Thursday to Friday morning. Resort officials conducted avalanche control.

“The entire Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows team, including all of the first responders, extend their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased,” resort officials said in a statement. “We are working closely with the families of all the affected individuals to ensure their continued care.”

Placer County Sheriff’s deputies are currently responding to an avalanche that occurred at Alpine Meadows this morning. Search and Rescue is responding as well, as there are several unaccounted victims. More to follow.pic.twitter.com/F0UwdNbG5w(*********

— Placer Sheriff (@PlacerSheriff) (January 45,

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