One person was reported dead and three others were left injured after an avalanche at a ski resort in California on Wednesday.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement on Facebook that an avalanche had occurred at Palisade Tahoe, a ski resort in Olympic Valley, California., at around 9:30 a.m., 30 minutes after opening, above the KT-22 lift area of the resort where the black diamond slopes are for experienced skiers.
Sgt. David Smith, a spokesman for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed during a press conference that as officers from the sheriff’s office arrived on the scene, the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team also arrived, according to KCRA News.
Smith confirmed that at the time one person had died as a result of the avalanche, and another had “sustained minor non-life threatening injuries.”
“This is a very sad day for my team and everyone here,” Dee Byrne, the president and chief operating officer for Palisades Tahoe, said during the press conference.
Michael Gross, the vice president of mountain operations for Palisades Tahoe, confirmed that “two other people” had been “caught in the slide.” One of the people had been rescued by their partner, while the other was rescued by other guests.
Video footage from ABC7 News Bay Area on TikTok showed several guests trying to rescue a man who had been caught in the avalanche.
@abc7newsbayarea Video shows a man being rescued after an avalanche at @Palisades Tahoe on Wednesday morning. Authorities say a person was killed and another was injured following the snowslide that roared through a section of expert trails at the California ski resort near Lake Tahoe. #rescue #avalanche #palisadestahoe #palisades #tahoe #snow #snowslide #resort #skiresort #california #ca #laketahoe #weather #wx #news #fyp #foryoupage #abc7news ♬ original sound – ABC7 News
In another statement on Facebook hours later, the deceased individual was identified as Kenneth Kidd, 66.
“Our heart felt condolences go out to the family and friends of Mr. Kidd during this difficult time,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
Dave Lavely, 67, of Reno, Nevada, who holds a season pass to the ski resort, said experienced skiers s love the black diamond slopes because “it’s really steep.”
“I remember when I was really young I was skiing around there,” Lavely said. “I fell over and slid like two-thirds of the way down the mountain. There was no way to stop because it’s just so steep.”
Palisades Tahoe was the host of the 1960 Winter Olympics and is located roughly 40 miles from Reno, Nevada.