A ski area in California is now pushing for charges against a snowboarder who survived an avalanche that was caught on video last week.
Christian Mares gained national attention when he posted a video of him snowboarding at Sugar Bowl Resort just over 40 miles west of Reno, Nevada. The POV video shows Mares turning in the snow when he is overtaken by an avalanche. He was in a closed area of the resort. According to the LA Times, he also did not hold a season pass.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office is reportedly investigating Mares for trespassing.
The marketing director for the Sugar Bowl Resort said the resort decided to involve the law enforcement, "given the magnitude and severity of this situation, and the fact that patrol, staff and public were put at serious risk from Mares' decisions and actions," John Monson said in a press release published Wednesday:
The release also indicated that the resort will take action against Mares:
An avalanche triggered by a snowboarder in a closed area of Sugar Bowl Resort on Friday, Jan. 15 has been fully investigated by resort officials, and the snowboarder now faces prosecution.
The Friday avalanche is not connected in any way with the ongoing search for missing Sugar Bowl ski instructor Carson May, who has been missing since Thursday.
Christian Michael Mares triggered an avalanche at approximately 12:45 p.m. on Friday Jan. 15 after knowingly traversing into an area of the East Palisades called "Perco's," which has not been open to the public since the 2010/11 ski season. The area is clearly marked as closed from both the Mt. Disney and Mt. Lincoln directions, and it is a very active avalanche area. As such, Mares put himself, his friends, ski patrol and the skiing public at risk.
Normally, when skiers or riders choose to enter into a closed area, resort management will pull the skier's pass for a duration of time, ban the skier for the remainder of the season or, if serious enough, for multiple seasons. However, since Mares is not a Sugar Bowl season passholder and given the magnitude and severity of this situation, and the fact that patrol, staff and public were put at serious risk from Mares' decisions and actions, Sugar Bowl has now turned this incident over to the Placer County Sheriff's Department for prosecution under California Penal Code 602(r), which refers to trespassing into a closed area of a ski resort.
Sugar Bowl Resort places the highest priority on the safety of its guests and employees. The irresponsible and reckless decision to snowboard or ski in closed terrain endangers other skiers and ski patrol, and will not be tolerated. Sugar Bowl Resort urges all skiers and riders to respect terrain closures and mountain signage for their own safety and the safety of others.
Mares noted on Facebook Wednesday that has he been unable to talk to anyone about the incident.
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