Snowmobilers triggered a massive avalanche in the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area (BWRA) near Latopie Lake, California on Saturday, December 27th at approximately 11am. The slide fully buried and injured one of the snowmobilers who was dug out by members of this party which numbered seven.
An emergency distress call was placed and multiple agencies arrived including members from the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team, CHP-Central Division Air Operations H42 and a Battle Born Medevac Helicopter. The injured snowmobiler was airlifted to Renown Hospital.
The rest of the party returned to the trailhead on their snowmobiles. Authorities are warning dangerous avalanche conditions continue to exist in the area. The condition of the injured snowmobiler has not been released. Read the full statement from the Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team below:
Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue Team:
On Saturday, December 27, 2025, at 1100 hours, the Team was paged for a report of a large avalanche (estimated D3) involving multiple possible injured subjects with unknown burial status at Latopie Lake in the Bridgeport Winter Recreation Area (BWRA). Rescue Base was established at Bryant Field in Bridgeport. Rescue Operations also requested multiple air resources, which were accepted by CHP – Central Division Air Operations H42 out of Fresno, CA, and a Battle Born Medevac Helicopter out of Carson City, NV.
Team members from across the county responded with rescue apparatus, including Team powder sleds. Battleborn was first on scene and was able to land and assess. They determined that one inidivual (out of a group of seven) was injured after being caught in a large avalanche triggered by one member of their party. The slide fully buried that individual, and they were unburied by others in the vicinity.
Battleborn evacuated the injured subject directly to Renown Hospital, a Level 2 Trauma Center, in Reno, NV. As the Team was gearing up at Bryant Field, CHP H42 arrived at Latopie Lake to continue response if needed. After determining the scene was clear of other subjects in need, H42 departed the area. The rest of the party elected to return to the BWRA parking lot via their snowmobiles.
The Team would like to remind the public that dangerous avalanche conditions exist throughout the county.
The operation was terminated at 1240 hour
