Ski patroller dies when explosive charge detonates during avalanche control at Squaw Valley resort

A ski patroller was killed Tuesday morning when an explosive charge detonated while he was performing avalanche control activities at the popular Squaw Valley Ski Resort.

The fatal incident was reported at 8:35 a.m. at the top of Gold Coast Ridge at the resort and before regularly scheduled operations, said Andy Wirth, chief executive and president of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, he said the cause of the incident was “detonation of an explosive charge.”

Authorities described the device as a hand charge containing ammonium nitrate.

The ski patrol member was identified as Joe Zuiches. The 42-year-old Olympic Valley resident had been a member of the Squaw Valley professional ski patrol since 2012, Wirth said.

“The whole team here at Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows is so deeply saddened, profoundly saddened by this tragic loss,” he said. “We are a family and this impacts everybody on our team.”

Wirth described Zuiches as a highly trained patrolman who was “one of the best of the best.”

Placer County Sheriff’s Lt. Fred Guitron said Zuiches’ body had not been recovered.

Sheriff’s deputies are investigating Zuiches’ death.

Squaw Valley Ski Resort was closed Tuesday. The Alpine Meadows Ski Resort, which is tucked between Truckee and Tahoe City, remained open.

The resort created a GoFundMe fundraising page for Zuiches’ family.

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UPDATES:

4:25 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the ski patrolman dying during the detonation of an explosive charge.

12:15 p.m.: This article was updated with the identity of the ski patroller.

This article was originally published at 11:10 a.m.