Sugar Bowl Ski Instructor Missing Since Thursday Has Not Been Found

23-year-old Sugar Bowl ski instructor Carson May has been missing at or near Sugar Bowl ski resort in Lake Tahoe, CA since last Thursday.  Avalanche danger was high at the time of his disappearance and a snowboarder even recorded himself in an inbounds avalanche at Sugar Bowl on Friday.

The search for Carson has involved up to 47 searchers, dogs, helicopters, and more yet he has not been found.

“Another day of intense searching, but the Placer County Sheriff’s Office was unable to locate Carson May at Sugar Bowl Resort.

The search begins again tomorrow with 30 people, including our own mountain rescuers; Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue; and El Dorado, Nevada, Douglas, and Fresno counties.

They will be probing trees in the Lake Mary area. Thank you to all of the amazing teams and volunteers who’ve helped in this important effort.” – Placer County Sheriff’s Office, yesterday

Crews have been tirelessly searching for Carson with skiers, dogs, and helicopters whenever safe enough to do so.  Bad weather and dangerous avalanche conditions have been a major challenge for searchers.

Caron’s phone reportedly pinged on Friday in an area with “recent avalanche activity” but has since failed to respond likely due to a dead battery

Searchers are still holding out hope for finding Carson alive.

“If they have some survival skills and able to seek some shelter and use the resources around them such as the snow for hydration, they can survive out there for up to three, four, five days.” – Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Hunt told KTLA

Hunt also advised skiers and riders headed into the backcountry to let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

“If you go out on the backside and … you get yourself caught up in something, there’s nobody out there that’s going to know you’re there unless you told somebody.  And it may be a while before we can get to you.” – Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Dave Hunt told the Sacramento Bee

Caron May has worked for Sugar Bowl for 3 seasons and his father once set the world speed record for a blind skier.