Search and rescue busy with lost skiers

Douglas County's Search and Rescue volunteers were kept busy the last few days tracking down three out-of-bounds winter sports enthusiasts.

Sgt. Tom Mezzetta said two adults each received $600 citations.

A 12-year-old snowboarder was not cited.

Mezzetta said the 12-year-old made cell phone contact on Monday at 1:40 p.m. to say he was lost, but uninjured.

He had snowboarded out of bounds in the Mott Canyon area.

Due to the terrain, rescuers had to hike up the canyon while the Heavenly Valley Ski Patrol skied downhill.

The boy was located at 4:15 p.m. and taken off the mountain.

Mezzetta said he was in good condition.

Volunteers received a cell phone call at 2:35 p.m. Monday from a man who said he had skied out of bounds and was lost.

Mezzetta said the man worked his way down to Kingsbury Grade on his own where he made contact with officials.

A snowboarder contacted authorities by cell phone at 7:30 p.m. Sunday to say he was stuck in waist-deep snow, cold and tired.

He told the contact he couldn't walk any farther.

He said he was lost but gave his general location as east of Ridge Tahoe in the South Daggett Creek area.

It took a Search and Rescue snowshoe team two hours to find him.

They walked him out to where they met a snowmobile team that took him back to his room.

"They always wait until nightfall before they contact us for help," Mezzetta said.