EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — A San Jose snowboarder was found dead Sunday after losing contact with friends at a ski resort.

Phillip Walker, 22, was found dead in a tree well just before noon Sunday by search and rescue volunteers, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials launched the search Saturday afternoon after Walker’s brother and friends reported him missing at the Sierra at Tahoe resort. Rescue crews had to scale back the search overnight due to foul weather.

Walker apparently struck the tree while snowboarding and fell into the loosely-packed snow underneath the tree branches, and was found covered in several inches of snow. It isn’t clear if the impact or exposure to the weather resulted in the victim’s death.