Second skier killed in skiing incident at Lake Tahoe resort
Stuart McLaughlin was killed after colliding with another skier, who was rushed to the hospital following the incident
A skier has died at a North Lake Tahoe resort, marking the second death at the tourist hotspot in just nine days.
Stuart McLaughlin, 53, was killed on February 15 in an accident on the Polaris trail at the Northstar California Resort. The popular holiday destination is located in Truckee, just northeast of the lake.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said that authorities first responded to reports of an accident on the Polaris trail at 11.30 am. Upon arriving at the scene, they found that two skiers, one of whom was McLaughlin, had collided on the trail.
The other skier, who remains unnamed, was rushed to a local hospital. Their current status also remains unknown.
As the investigations continue, Tara Schoedinger, Northstar’s general manager, offered her condolences to McLaughlin’s loved ones.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event, and the Northstar team extends our deepest condolences to the family, loved ones, and friends of the guests involved," she said.
McLaughlin is the second person to die at the Northstar California Resort in just nine days, with 26-year-old Nicholas Kenworthy being killed on February 6, while attempting the ski destination’s Martis trail.
Authorities have not yet revealed Kenworthy’s cause of death.
The Martis trail is a Black-Diamond slope, the most challenging type of terrain at ski resorts in North America. The Polaris trail, where McLaughlin died, is also a Black-Diamond slope.
Both trails currently remain open, according to Northstar’s website.
His cause of death has not yet been given by authorities, although Schoedinger has also extended her condolences to his family.
“Northstar California Resort, Northstar Ski Patrol, and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family, loved ones, and friends,” she said.
Elsewhere in Northern California, eight skiers were found dead after being caught in the deadliest avalanche in the United States since 1981.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon confirmed that search and rescue teams were dispatched on Tuesday after 15 skiers went missing in the Castle Peak area during the avalanche.
Castle Peak is 18.5 miles northwest of the Northstar California Resort.
Six of the missing skiers were successfully rescued on Tuesday evening.
The bodies of the eight deceased skiers were found on the following day, Sheriff Moon confirmed in the press conference. That brings the total number of skiers found to 14, with one person remaining missing.
Authorities say that the missing skier is presumed dead.
A person familiar with the circumstances told the San Francisco Chronicle that the majority of the group caught in the avalanche were women, including the mothers of children on the local Sugar Bowl Resort’s ski team.
The trip was part of an annual family excursion, which involved the husbands and wives skiing separately.
The Independent has contacted the Northstar California Resort and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
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