More Crews Brought in to Help Find Missing Ski Instructor

SUGAR BOWL (CBS13) — Placer County Deputies say they have brought in even more search crew in the race to find a ski instructor who disappeared near a popular resort in the Sierra on Thursday as a Sierra storm prepares to bear down this weekend.

It's been more than 24 hours since Carson May, a 23-year-old ski instructor from Davis, was discovered missing. Dozens of searchers are still in and around the mountain after an all-day search. Early Saturday morning 43 searchers are on the mountain from Placer County, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Tahoe Avalanche Dogs, Contra Costa County, National Ski Patrol and Sugar Bowl Ski Patrol.

Deputies say he got lost after a ski run after work on Thursday and didn't show up for his ride home.

Snowmobiles and skiers scoured all sides of the Sugar Bowl ski resort, but there's still no sign or tracks of May.

"It was white-out conditions up at the top of the summit, so he could've very well got disoriented and went down the wrong run off the backside," said Placer County Sheriff's Sgt. David Hunt.

The search didn't begin until a friend reported May missing on Friday morning. That friend was supposed to pick up May after his run, but May never showed up.

"All the friend could tell us is he thought Carson already got a ride home and just assumed he was at home and when he came to work this morning, Carson wasn't here," Hunt said.

May's family was at the resort during the search, but requested privacy.

Officials say since the beginning of the ski season, they've conducted about 10 searches between all the resorts in the Placer County area. Every one of those skiers were found alive and well.

But as crews go into Day 2 of searching, the search area is expanding beyond the resort's boundaries as far down as the tunnels of Donner Pass Road.

May's father told CBS13 over the phone that the family is "holding on to every last percentage of hope they can find him alive."