Search efforts underway following avalanche at Palisades Tahoe
OLYMPIC VALLEY, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Skiers have begun more search efforts at Palisades Tahoe after yet another avalanche.
Things are starting to get back to normal at Palisades Tahoe after Wednesday's deadly avalanche. But some skiers are still wary, knowing a second avalanche happened just 27 hours later.
A group of skiers did a probe search Thursday afternoon, following another avalanche at Palisades Tahoe. This occurred on the alpine side of the resort, near Wolverine Bowl.
"I kind of couldn't believe what I saw at first," said Craig Hamilton, an Olympic Valley resident.
Aftermath
Hamilton said he spotted the aftermath of the avalanche from the ski lift when he was in between runs!
"I look over there, and I'm like, 'What?' There's a massive avalanche debris slide right down the middle of the bowl that hadn't been there the last lift ride up, the last run," Hamilton added.
Palisades tahoe confirmed that three that the avalanche happened around 12:30pm Thursday.
Resort staff said Ski Patrol did avalanche control before opening the ski area, which is common after recent snowfall.
Helping out
After the avalanche, crews did beacon and recco reflector searches, and eventually used probes, which Hamilton decided to help out with.
"They handed them out to us and lined us up in a row all the way across the debris field...If I was buried in that debris field, I would hope that anyone who could possibly get there would help."
Craig Hamilton, Olympic Valley resident
Luckily, no skiers or employees were caught in the snow, but this comes just one day after Wednesday morning's avalanche by the KT-22 chairlift on the Palisades side of the resort
66-year-old Kenneth Kidd died in the slide and three others were hurt.
Avalance control
Palisades Tahoe staff did avalanche control Thursday morning to help with safety.
Skiers returned after the resort shut down Wednesday, but some say it's scary that two avalanches happened at the same resort just one day apart.
Hamilton believes the resort is doing everything it can, but adds that, even as an avid skier, he's taking it easy saying, "I know I'm going to be much more cautious about just where I'm skiing and when I'm skiing."
The ski lift near the second avalanche site reopened after the area was cleared. But a resort spokeperson said he was unsure right now if the KT-22 lift would open on Friday.
