Search called off for California skier who went missing at Tahoe-area resort on Christmas
Placer County sheriff’s officials called off the search for Rory Angelotta, a skier who went missing Christmas Day at Northstar California Resort and who is now presumed dead.
There was “no realistic possibility Rory has survived the severe winter conditions,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Thursday.
The greater Lake Tahoe area between Christmas weekend and midweek experienced one of its heaviest snowstorms ever recorded, with Northstar among ski resorts that recorded more than 10 feet of snow in less than a week, according to the National weather Service.
Angelotta, a 43-year-old Truckee man who worked at a ski shop at the resort, told friends he was going to go skiing at Northstar before meeting them for Christmas dinner, the Sheriff’s Office said in previous statements. When he did not show up for the dinner, friends reported him missing.
Angelotta’s ski pass was scanned around 11:30 a.m. on Christmas at Northstar’s Comstock lift, and his vehicle was found parked in the ski resort’s parking lot, but rescue crews were unable to locate him.
Roughly 220 rescue workers searched for more than 13,000 personnel hours, the Sheriff’s Office said. The search effort was also hindered by the extreme winter conditions, as snow continued to fall into Wednesday.
“Resources deployed included Nordic skiers, snowshoers, snowcats, snowmobiles, a Blackhawk helicopter, and a CHP helicopter deploying advanced aerial borne radar technology,” sheriff’s officials wrote.
A “scaled response” is still planned at the resort in hopes of recovering Angelotta’s body, the Sheriff’s Office said.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 9:23 AM.
