“If you are skiing at a resort, stay within the boundaries. If you are recreating in the backcountry do not go by yourself. Always be prepared for the worst. If you find yourself in a bad situation, rescuers might not be able to get to you right away.” -Amador County Sheriff’s Office
LAKE TAHOE, California — A skier from San Francisco spent a cold night in the Lake Tahoe wilderness after going out of bounds off the backside of Kirkwood Ski Resort.
34-year-old Mihayl Petkov attempted to ski to safety but fell into to some deep powder and was unable to get his skis back on. He hiked through several feet of snow until the sunset and eventually able to get a cell signal to message his friends for help.
Search and rescue personnel were dispatched his location, a remote area east of Silver Lake but they couldn’t reach the distressed skier due to the dangerous nighttime conditions. A California Highway Patrol helicopter also responded to the scene and located Petkov but the crew couldn’t reach him.
The following morning, crews on the ground and in the air made a second rescue attempt. The helicopter found a safe place to land, picked up Petkov and flew him back to Kirkwood.
Excellent example of why its ultra important to stay inbounds at ski resorts when you are uninformed and unprepared. Be safe out there folks, things can go sideways in flash once you ski OB.
Amador County Sheriff’s Office Statement:
On the evening of February 10th, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office received a report that 34-year-old Mihayl Petkov of San Francisco was in a remote location east of Silver Lake and needed help.
Petkov had gone skiing at Kirkwood and went out of bounds off the back side of the mountain. He attempted to ski to safety, but fell in the powder and was unable to reattach his skis. After hiking in several feet of snow until dark, he was able to send a message from his phone asking for friends to call for help.
Amador Search and Rescue personnel responded with snowmobiles and a snowcat provided by PG&E, but they were unable to access Petkov due to the dangerous conditions at night. A CHP Helicopter responded and located Petkov, but was also unable to access him.
The following morning, the snowmobiles, the snowcat, and the helicopter made a second rescue attempt, this time accompanied by Kirkwood Ski Patrol. This time, the CHP helicopter was able to find a safe place to land and transported Petkov back to Kirkwood.
The Amador County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank CHP, Kirkwood Ski Patrol, and PG&E for their help in making this a successful mission.
A few notes on safety: If you are skiing at a resort, stay within the boundaries. If you are recreating in the backcountry do not go by yourself. Always be prepared for the worst. If you find yourself in a bad situation, rescuers might not be able to get to you right away.
