On Friday 12/11/15 the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team (SAR) based in South Lake Tahoe, responded to rescue a snowboarder who had ventured off into the back-country from Heavenly Valley Ski Resort.

41 year-old, Pavel Kletsov, left the boundaries of Heavenly Valley Ski Resort and ended up in the Cold Creek Drainage, just above Montgomery Estates. Due to the fresh new snow and terrain, Kletsov got stuck and could not get out on his own.

Twelve Search and Rescue Volunteers on Ski’s, Snowmobiles and Snowshoes made their way into the wilderness and located Kletsov almost 4 miles in. Temperatures that evening were in the teens making the incident highest of urgency. GPS coordinates from a 911 call were used to identify Kletsov’s location. SAR Volunteers located Kletsov and brought him out safely.

Search and Rescue Teams throughout the area would like to remind all back-country enthusiast to be prepared, have a plan and stick to their plan. Do not use Ski Resorts to access the back-country unless you are experienced, fully equipped, and prepared to navigate in back-country conditions.