Experienced snowmobiler dies after avalanche near Truckee

A 42-year-old snowmobiler from Bend, Oregon, died after an avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in Truckee on Jan. 5; friends and nearby passersby recovered him and performed CPR but he did not survive.

Authorities say a 42-year-old snowmobiler from Bend, Oregon, died after an avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in Truckee, California, on Jan. 5. Dispatchers received a 911 call at about 2:19 p.m. The group of five were described as experienced and were carrying avalanche beacons; one member was certified in CPR. Friends and other people who came upon the scene recovered the buried rider and began CPR, but he did not survive. What is known: - Dispatchers received a 911 call at about 2:19 p.m. local time on Monday, Jan. 5, in the area of Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in Truckee. - The victim was identified as 42-year-old Chris Scott Thomason of Bend, Oregon, and he did not survive despite rescue and CPR efforts. - The group of five snowmobilers were described as experienced and equipped with avalanche beacons; friends tracked his beacon and began digging him out. - An off-duty Truckee Fire medic and other Good Samaritans assisted, and the sheriff's office said about 50 people took part in rescue efforts; all remaining individuals in the area were accounted for. Summary: The sheriff's office thanked those who assisted and reported that all others in the area were accounted for, and the National Avalanche Center lists this as the third avalanche-related fatality in the U.S. so far this season. Undetermined at this time.