Rescue teams search for skier missing since Christmas at Northstar resort
The search continues at Northstar Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe after a 43-year-old skier went missing on Christmas Day.
Placer County Sheriff's Office was contacted at 9:57 p.m. on December 25 after Rory Angelotta of Truckee did not show up at a planned dinner with friends. Angelotta had told the reporting party that he was going skiing during the day.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office responded and immediately dispatched additional emergency resources, including Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Nevada County Search and Rescue, and Northstar Ski Patrol. The investigation revealed that around 11:30 a.m. Christmas Day, Angelotta’s ski pass was scanned at the Comstock lift. There was no other activity registered to his pass since that time.
An emergency ping on Angelotta’s phone last showed a short call made from the Northstar area at 11:25 a.m. before his phone was turned off, according to the sheriff's office.
Angelotta’s vehicle was also found parked in the Northstar parking lot.
Searchers responded and combed the mountain and surrounding areas, despite extreme weather. Rescue personnel were on skis, snowmobiles, and a snowcat during their search. The sheriff's office reported the searchers faced high avalanche danger, strong winds, whiteout flurries, frigid temperatures, and heavy snow loads before calling off their search on the evening of December 26th. Search efforts continued Monday, but due to the ongoing severe storm and closed highways, searchers face significant challenges.
Angelotta is described as very friendly and outgoing. He moved to the Truckee area from Colorado in October and worked as the General Manager of the Surefoot ski shop at Northstar.
Deputies and rescue personnel are hoping to get information that will lead them to where Angelotta may have chosen to ski the afternoon he went missing. He was last believed to be wearing a navy blue Fly Low jacket, blue helmet, and black goggles. If anyone has spoken with or seen Angelotta between Christmas Day and today, please contact the Placer County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 886-5375.