PHOTOS: A backcountry skier is safe after surviving an avalanche on Christmas near Mount Rose Summit, thanks to a fast, coordinated rescue by local emergency crews. The Washoe County Sheriffโs Office Search and Rescue team, along with Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and REMSA, responded yesterday afternoon after receiving a report that a male skier had been partially buried by an avalanche in the backcountry.
With weather conditions worsening and time critical, SAR teams quickly staged just west of Mount Rose Ski Resort. Using multiple tracking technologies and working closely with the Sierra Avalanche Center, crews were able to narrow down the skierโs exact location before deploying ski and snowshoe teams into the backcountry.
The first SAR team to reach the area made verbal contact with the skier and developed a plan to safely reach him on foot. Once they got to him, rescuers determined the skier was cold, wet and exhausted after spending several hours in the avalanche runout zone. However, he was uninjured and was able to walk.
