TNSAR Search 04/04/2008

Missing Skier - Northstar At Tahoe

At approximately 2030 Hours on April 4, 2008, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team was paged out for a search for a missing skier at Northstar At Tahoe.

Preliminary reports indicated that the MP was last seen around 1300 hours at the top of the Vista chair with his friend. When the MP did not show up at the end of the day, his friend searched the base area and notified Ski Patrol. Ski Patrol called the Placer County Sheriff Department. The MP was described as a male, intermediate skier on rental gear.

TNSAR was able to muster two skiers, three snowmobiles, and one snowcat. The skiers met at Northstar, the snowmobiles met at the end of Regency, and the snowcat launched from the Team Garage.

PCSO contacted the MP's cell phone carrier and had them "ping" the phone to get an approximate location of the phone. The first couple of "pings" showed that the phone was located near Sawtooth Ridge. The snowmobiles and skiers went to the area and started searching.

The skiers searched the East side of Sawtooth Ridge ending up down in Lahonton. The snowmobiles searched the Southwest side of Sawtooth Ridge down to the USFS 06 Road. The Snowcat searched the 06 Road and Martis Creek.

At approximately 0300 Hours, all resources headed to the Command Post and it was determined that we had thoroughly searched the area from the ski area boundary to the West with Deep Creek being the only other place the MP might be. The Skiers checked the Deep Creek drainage to the Truckee River with no results.

The PCSO SAR coordinator decided to reconvene at 0700 at Mid-Mountain and continue the search. TNSAR had skiers ready to search during the next operational period when the MP was found in bounds by Ski Patrol. TNSAR was released from the incident.

Sheriff Dispatch Comm Van Truck Skiers Snow Cats Snowmobiles Other
Rob Pirtle
Nate Humes
Steve Twomey
Kathy King
Rick Miller Randall Osterhuber
Bernie Mellor
Jimmy Smith
Brian York
Scott Baumgardner
Chris McConnell
David Hopp
Ray O'Brien
(Cell Phone Ping Coordinator)