More details have emerged about a snowmobile trip near Donner Pass that ended in tragedy this week. Authorities on Tuesday identified the 42-year-old Oregon man who was killed in a large avalanche as Chris Scott Thomason of Bend, Oregon, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office. Per the sheriff's office, Thomason was one of five "well-prepared" snowmobilers traveling from Johnson Canyon toward Castle Peak, a popular backcountry area northwest of Lake Tahoe that tops 9,000 feet. All five wore avalanche beacons and other safety gear, and two were locals familiar with the terrain, Sgt. Dustin Moe said.
But the conditions weren't optimal, per SFGate: Sierra Avalanche Center had listed avalanche danger in the area as "likely" on Monday, after more than 70 inches of new snow fell in the Tahoe region since Dec. 31. As the group started heading back, Thomason appeared to trigger a slide that Moe described as roughly 300 feet across with a three-foot crown. One of his companions saw the avalanche and the group immediately began a beacon search.
They located Thomason within 10 minutes and spent another 10 to 15 minutes digging him out, then began CPR, reports Central Oregon Daily. They continued CPR for about an hour with the aid of an off-duty Tahoe firefighter who arrived with another group of three riders; those efforts were unsuccessful. KTVZ reports Thomason leaves behind a wife and three daughters. No one else was injured. Because of unstable conditions and risk of additional slides, those on scene transported Thomason's body down toward the trailhead and met sheriff's personnel there. Moe urged anyone heading into the Sierra backcountry to check avalanche forecasts and weather before leaving home. (It was the second avalanche fatality in California in two weeks.)
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