California storm kills 1, avalanche injures 2 at ski resort
3 March 2018 4:42 PM GMT
Los Angeles: A winter storm that roared through California left a snowboarder dead and sent an avalanche crashing down on five people at a Sierra Nevada ski resort, but the danger of another deadly mudslide eased in a devastated coastal community.
Dozens of rescuers and rescue dogs rushed to the scene after an avalanche hit the Squaw Valley Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe near the Nevada state line. Video showed them digging out a man from the snow.
One man was hospitalized with a serious lower body injury, another person was treated for injuries and released while three other people escaped injury, the resort said in a statement.
The skiers and snowboarders were within areas open to skiing at the time and the guests had been warned of the potential danger, resort spokeswoman Liesl Hepburn said.
The resort used explosives and other tools to knock down snow to prevent avalanches throughout the day but the snowfall was heavy, she said.
"We had assessed the area to be safe to open to the public and unfortunately an avalanche did occur after that assessment was made," she said.
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