Body of 43-year-old skier who went missing on Christmas found near Northstar ski resort
The body of a 43-year-old Truckee skier was found Saturday morning north of Northstar California Resort after the man went missing on Dec. 25.
Rory Angelotta, who worked at a ski shop at the resort, was reported missing by friends after he didn’t make it to a Christmas dinner. He had previously said he was going to ski at the Northstar resort.
His ski pass was scanned at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, but he was reported missing by 10 p.m. after failing to show for the dinner. His car was found in the Northstar parking lot.
In a news release, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said his body was found north of the resort about 10:42 a.m. Saturday by a Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team and a Nevada County Sheriff’s Office search team. He was found a half mile from a residential neighborhood near Schaffer Mill Creek, according to Placer County law enforcement.
The area where he was found was not previously searched “due to the considerable distance Angelotta had traveled from the resort” and from the “ski resort boundaries and the backside of the resort, where searchers believed Angelotta had gotten lost.” Placer County officials said he may have been attempting to reach the neighborhood for assistance.
The ski resort and much of the Sierra Nevada experienced a severe winter storm over the holiday weekend, causing whiteout conditions and major snowfall. Inclement weather had been hampering rescue attempts, and by Dec. 30, having found no indication of his whereabouts, officials called off the search, saying there was “no realistic possibility Rory has survived the severe winter conditions.”
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office provided a statement from Angelotta’s family, thanking searchers and volunteers who assisted in the search: “The Angelotta family is deeply touched by the overwhelming outpouring of prayers and support during this extremely difficult time and personally wants to thank everyone that accompanied in the search and assisted them during these last two weeks.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2022 at 4:06 PM.