This past weekend at Killington / Pico over a dozen skiers had to be rescued after skiing out of bounds. Here are the police reports from the five different incidentes.
Five skiers located out of bounds and escorted back to safety
KILLINGTON-On Saturday, Dec. 28 at approximately 2:06 p.m., members of the Vermont State Police, Rutland Barracks, were dispatched to the Killington ski resort for a report of several skiers who were lost in the woods. After arriving on scene, Vermont State Police learned the lost skiers had intentionally skied out of bounds from the Glades trail. After approximately six hours, the lost skiers were located and escorted out of the woods by members of the Killington Ski Patrol. Vermont State Police were assisted with locating the lost skiers by members of the Killington Ski Patrol and Killington Fire Department.
The skier group included: William L. Markowitz, age 20 from Mount Kisco, NY; Charles D. Markowitz, age 17 from Mount Kisco, NY; Michael Shaftany, age 52 from South Yarmouth, Mass.; Jamie Shaftany, age 18 from South Yarmouth, Mass.; Todd Lebaugh, age 46 from North Attleborough, Mass.
Single skier directed back to safety
KILLINGTON-On Saturday, Dec. 29, Tyler Peters, age 30, skied out of bounds from Ridge Run ski trail on Killington Peak at approximately 9:45 a.m. Peters contacted State Police dispatch via 911 and was connected to Killington Ski Patrol. Ski patrol was able to guide Peters out of the woods onto Wheelerville Road via cell phone communication at approximately 11:15 a.m.
Peters was unharmed. The Fire Chief, Gary Roth, was kept current with Peters progress as well as Warden Dustin Snyder.
Father and son rescued in Pico woods
KILLINGTON- On Saturday, Dec. 29, at approximately 1:54 p.m., the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks received a report of a lost skier. Scott Barbarossa, age 50 from Norwich, CT, called 911 to report he and his 11 year old son skied into the woods off the Giant Killer ski trail at Pico Mountain and were lost.
Scott maintained phone contact with the Rutland State Police until approximately 3:14 p.m. when he advised he observed a sign for the Catamount Ski Trail. The VT State Police Search and Rescue Team, Fish and Wildlife Game Wardens, Killington Ski Patrol, and Killington Search and Rescue searched the area for Scott and his 11 year old son. At approximately 10:17 p.m., the lost skiers were located in a snow cave they created. Search and rescue personal walked them to Wheelerville Road in Mendon where they were evaluated by Rutland Regional Ambulance. Scott and his son did not have any injuries.
Two men able to hike to safety with guidance
KILLINGTON-On Sunday, Dec. 30, at approximately 10:10 a.m., Vermont State Police received a 911 call from Peter Dipietro, age 25 from Maryland, who reported that his friend, Miguel Castro, age 24 from Maryland, and he were lost in the woods near Pico Mountain after they left a ski trail.
After approximately four hours of hiking through the woods, Dipietro and Castro were able to walk out to US Route 4 near Winterberry Extension in Killington, Vt. They were met by the troopers who provided them guidance through the woods and were medical screened by the Killington Rescue Squad for hypothermia.
Digitally directed to Route 4 after becoming lost skiing out of bounds
KILLINGTON-On Sunday, Dec. 30, at approximately 3:54 p.m., the Vermont State Police Rutland Barracks received a report of two out of bounds skiers from Pico Ski Resort.
The two skiers, Andrew Massard and Daniel Consoni both 24 years old from Sagamore Beach, MA called 911 reporting they had skied out of bounds from Pico Resort and had become lost in the woods.
Based upon the skier’s GPS coordinates obtained from their cellular telephones, the skiers were advised by VSP personnel to walk towards US Route 4 in the Town of Killington. At 5:05 p.m., the skiers emerged from the woods unscathed.