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Two Avalanches Hit Wrightwood

As the Southland braced for a weekend of more storms, rescuers this afternoon were dealing with two avalanches in the San Bernardino Mountains.

In Wrightwood, the L.A. County Sheriff's Department said two people were rescued after an avalanche hit at around noon in the mountains near the community. A third skier, described as a 22-year-old, was treated and transported to nearby Desert Valley Medical Center. Channel 9 reported that paramedics were trying to revive one of the skiers after being pulled from the snow. Video from the scene showed snow falling as the skier was taken away in an ambulance. Sources involved in the rescue told The Times that the skier was in grave condition.

Lt. Cory Kennedy said that officials had been searching for a missing skier involved in a second avalanche, which took place nearby at around 1:30 p.m, according to San Bernardino authorities.

Stanton Florea, spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said the skier now being treated was found in a part of the Mountain High ski resort that's off limits to skiers at the east end of the resort. - LA Times

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wow ummm that sucks. Not gonn

wow ummm that sucks. Not gonna lie i was desperately trying to find a way to get up to baldy today so i could do the cliffs but i was advised to let it settle. Good call to that person. Those guys probably didnt have gear though (transcievers and stuff) thats unfortunate the missing guy is probably a gonner.

I'm Sad

to report that there has been one death so far and one still missing.

More...

Mountain avalanches killed an off-duty ski patrol worker and left another person missing Friday as California strained under nearly a week of snow and rain.

One avalanche struck Friday afternoon at Wrightwood in the snow-laden San Gabriel Mountains. A 23-year-old employee of the Mountain High ski area was pulled from the debris, but died at a hospital later that afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said. His name was not released.

As night fell, searchers were still looking for another person who was missing after a second avalanche about a half-mile from the first, on national forest land.

"I'm sure that the avalanches are due to the amount of snow that has fallen over the past several days," said Tim Wessel, division chief for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

The avalanches were outside Mountain High's boundaries. The resort, which was closed by high winds a day earlier, remained open.

An avalanche advisory was issued for the ski area at nearby Mount Baldy, a 10,000-foot peak about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, and the lifts there were closed, Angeles National Forest spokesman Stanton Florea said.

So bummed...

This is the last thing on anyone's mind in SoCal. Heavy San Gabriel/Sierra snowpack. I've seen it stick to the steepest of faces (when it snows), but never seen a slide, or the remnants of one. Don't touch any hiking zones at baldy for a few days. Baldy's bad news if Wrightwood is sliding. Everyone stay safe.

beleived to be 3

members of the day crew on the faultline terrain park staff are still missing. solid news is sketchy as to exactly how many, we can only pray they make it through the night. prayers to the family of ones lost.