
CHP helicopter crew
[Search personnel and CHP helicopter crew member in the search for skier Rory Angelotta. Placer County Sheriff's Office via Facebook]
Search and rescue efforts for a skier missing for almost a week in the Sierra Nevada mountains in California have been suspended, authorities said Thursday.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office said there is no realistic possibility that Rory Angelotta has survived the severe winter conditions.
Angelotta’s last known location was the Northstar Ski Resort in the Tahoe region of the Sierra Nevadas on Christmas Day, officials have said.
Since then, that area has recorded more than 104 inches, or 8 1/2 feet, of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
“This was a difficult decision, especially for the volunteers who have worked so hard to bring Rory home,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Unfortunately, it was a decision that had to be made. Our hearts go out to the family.”