LAKE TAHOE, CA – Authorities have confirmed the tragic death of a man following an avalanche at Palisades Tahoe ski resort on the Californian side of Lake Tahoe. The victim has been identified as 66-year-old Kenneth Kidd, who resided in both Point Reyes and the Truckee regions.
According to data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, this unfortunate incident is recorded as the first U.S. avalanche fatality in the 2023-2024 winter season.
Michael Gross, the Vice President of Mountain Operations at Palisades Tahoe, disclosed that Kidd had been engulfed and buried by the avalanche. Another individual suffered a leg injury during the incident. David Smith, a spokesperson for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, announced that no other individuals were reported missing, concluding the search efforts.
The authorities stated that the two individuals who sustained minor injuries during the slide were also out-of-town guests at the resort. Responding to the event, the avalanche has left a debris field that spans approximately 150 feet in width, 450 feet in length, and reaches up to 10 feet in depth, as reported by the sheriff’s office.
The resort noted that it received reports of the avalanche around 9:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The incident took place near the KT-22 lift, which was operational for the first time this season from 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Both sides of the mountain have been closed since the avalanche.
The Lake Tahoe region is in the middle of a strong storm that has showered most of the Sierra Nevada mountains with snow this week. Notably, snowfall is expected to continue, with an additional foot or more predicted to accumulate from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.