Witness Details Moments Leading Up To Avalanche That Killed 34-Year-Old Skier
ALPINE MEADOWS (CBS13) — A 34-year-old man was swept away and killed during an avalanche at Alpine Meadows Friday, ahead of the holiday weekend.
The victim has been identified as Cole Comstock, a beloved husband, and avid skier. His friends and family describe him as an expert skier.
This avalanche happened in an area that was open and in-bounds at the resort, after heavy snow Friday morning. Warnings about an avalanche started Thursday night and hours later, Cole Comstock was swept away. The man skiing with him was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery.
"We heard screaming, agonizing pain obviously there was a serious injury," said Crystal Bauer, who watched the avalanche unfold.
Bauer was on the slopes and watched in shock as this happened. She said she saw Cole Comstock take his last turn
"He just disappeared in this — almost like a cloud of snow. Within one second the speed just almost doubled," she said.
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Comstock's wife, Caitlin, shared kind words about him Friday evening. In a statement, she said "He loved skiing and loved living life. He deeply loved his friends his family and above all his wife. He supported everyone with all of his heart and was a true example of unconditional love."
The Alpine Meadows ski patrol was dispatched immediately after this happened and followed by search and rescue crews. First responders are thankful for the dozens of volunteers who helped locate Comstock after the avalanche.
"We would still be out there looking if we didn't have witnesses and all those resources and the volunteers certainly were a huge help," said Sergeant Michael Powers with the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
People familiar with the slopes at Alpine say the area Comstock and his companion were in is rugged and tough, but the feet of powder that dropped overnight made it passable.
"It was just not something I considered a danger because I have never seen this in-bounds," Bauer said.
A spokesperson for Alpine Meadows said avalanche mitigation efforts were performed Friday morning before opening to the public.
