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Two skiers are credited with saving another skier’s life after they found him buried in deep snow at Palisades Tahoe last week.Carson Schmidt and his friend were on their first run of the day after making a seven-hour drive through snowy conditions and road closures. He said they were between KT and Olympic Lady when they noticed two skis sticking out of the snow, in what he described as whiteout conditions. “For whatever reason we just stop below, and I see ski tips and next thing you know, you just kind of go into go mode and just dig him out til you can find his face,” Schmidt said. “He was in total shock, like all he wanted to find was his wife.”Schmidt said the man was blue when they got him out and didn’t know how long he had been buried, but he was able to ski away.”Deep snow, it’s the great equalizer,” Schmidt said, noting that the terrain is pretty advanced, and the deep snow only emphasized that. He hopes this can serve as a reminder to anyone heading out to be safe on the slopes. “Everybody needs to be aware when you go out in that deep of snow. You need to ski with a partner, and you need to be trained. You need to have beacon, shovel, probe. You need to have all the right stuff,” he said.Schmidt said the man they rescued was in total shock, so they didn’t catch his name or the story of how he ended up there, but he is glad the man is alright.Palisades Tahoe released the following statement, below that thanked Schmidt for his “quick thinking and heroism.” “On Wednesday, February 18th, the snow was exceptionally deep. We want to thank Carson Schmidt for his quick thinking and heroism in looking out for others while skiing at our resort.Deep storm days are incredible, but they also come with some added risk. Carson said it best in his post: always ride with a buddy. When conditions are this deep, it doesn’t take an avalanche or a tree well for someone to become buried. Snow immersion can happen even in open terrain.Our ski patrol team is constantly monitoring and patrolling the mountain, working to keep terrain as safe as possible. But on deep days especially, it’s crucial that everyone takes responsibility for looking out for one another.Please ride with a buddy, stay within sight of your group, and make smart decisions. It could save someone’s life.”
Two skiers are credited with saving another skier’s life after they found him buried in deep snow at Palisades Tahoe last week.
Carson Schmidt and his friend were on their first run of the day after making a seven-hour drive through snowy conditions and road closures. He said they were between KT and Olympic Lady when they noticed two skis sticking out of the snow, in what he described as whiteout conditions.
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“For whatever reason we just stop below, and I see ski tips and next thing you know, you just kind of go into go mode and just dig him out til you can find his face,” Schmidt said. “He was in total shock, like all he wanted to find was his wife.”
Schmidt said the man was blue when they got him out and didn’t know how long he had been buried, but he was able to ski away.
“Deep snow, it’s the great equalizer,” Schmidt said, noting that the terrain is pretty advanced, and the deep snow only emphasized that.
He hopes this can serve as a reminder to anyone heading out to be safe on the slopes.
“Everybody needs to be aware when you go out in that deep of snow. You need to ski with a partner, and you need to be trained. You need to have beacon, shovel, probe. You need to have all the right stuff,” he said.
Schmidt said the man they rescued was in total shock, so they didn’t catch his name or the story of how he ended up there, but he is glad the man is alright.
Palisades Tahoe released the following statement, below that thanked Schmidt for his “quick thinking and heroism.”
“On Wednesday, February 18th, the snow was exceptionally deep. We want to thank Carson Schmidt for his quick thinking and heroism in looking out for others while skiing at our resort.
Deep storm days are incredible, but they also come with some added risk. Carson said it best in his post: always ride with a buddy. When conditions are this deep, it doesn’t take an avalanche or a tree well for someone to become buried. Snow immersion can happen even in open terrain.
Our ski patrol team is constantly monitoring and patrolling the mountain, working to keep terrain as safe as possible. But on deep days especially, it’s crucial that everyone takes responsibility for looking out for one another.
Please ride with a buddy, stay within sight of your group, and make smart decisions. It could save someone’s life.”
