Avalanche buries ski patrol member at Alpine Meadows | News

PLACER COUNTY, CA - A professional Alpine Meadows ski patroller is in critical condition after being caught in a Monday morning avalanche.

According to public relations manager Amelia Richmond, the members of the ski patrol team were doing snow safety patrols in the Sherwood Bowl area.

The avalanche was triggered when a member of the team detonated an explosive charge.

Richmond said the members were in an area believed to be safe, but the avalanche was larger than expected.

The patroller was buried within one minute and team members had him out of the snow eight minutes later. They immediately began CPR and he was flown by air ambulance to a Reno hospital.

Richmond said the patroller has 28 years of experience on the ski patrol.