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SAN FRANCISCO— On Christmas Eve, 49-year-old Hirschdale resident Steven Mark Anderson’s body was found buried in an avalanche at Sierra ski resort in Lake Tahoe. This incident occurred after the recent snowstorms, which accumulated up to three feet of fresh snow. Donner Ski Ranch, located northeast of Sacramento closed when rescue teams began the search for Anderson

Friends of Anderson called the sheriff’s department around noon, about three hours after the avalanche. His friends did not notice his absence right away since they were skiing separately as opposed to in a group. Through the assistance of a search dog, Anderson’s body was found around 1:30 p.m. underneath two to three feet of snow at the foot of the avalanche. The wind blew snow to depths to seven feet or more in the location of the Anderson was snowboarding also near the main lodge. There are no other people believed to have been caught by the avalanche. Due to the heavy snowfall during the weekend, avalanches were predictable to occur.

Ski resorts Squaw Valley USA and Alpine Meadows described experiencing dangerous avalanched. A 28-year ski patroller veteran was covered by another slide, which had explosive devises. The explosive resulted in a higher and wider slope, than in previous times. He was uncovered within eight minutes and hospitalized in Renown Medical Center in Reno. The spokeswoman of the resort expressed her inability to comment on the man’s condition.