A ski resort at Lake Tahoe is being sued for alleged negligence by the widow of a man who was killed in an avalanche last January and a close friend who was seriously injured.
The two separate lawsuits recently filed in Placer County Superior Court accuse Alpine Meadows of rushing to open the slopes prematurely in unsafe conditions for a holiday weekend that's typically one of the busiest of the season.
34-year-old Cole Comstock was killed and Kaley Bloom was seriously injured last Jan. 17.
The lawsuits say the avalanche followed several days of heavy snow and high winds that increase the risk of such a disaster.
Bloom says he suffered "severe and permanent lower-body injuries after being caught in the avalanche."
Alpine Meadows previously said that avalanche mitigation work had been performed in the area prior to opening to skiers and riders for the day.
They say the two men were skiing in a permitted, 'in-bounds' area and were not breaking any laws.
UPDATE: JANUARY 2020:
Courtesy of the Comstock familyCourtesy of the Comstock family
The Placer County Sheriff's Office says one man is dead and another man has serious lower body injuries as a result of an avalanche at Alpine Meadows.
Authorities say 34-year-old Cole Comstock of Blairsden, California died in the incident.
Deputies say the second man is currently undergoing surgery at Tahoe Forest Hospital.
Authorities say both men were skiing when the snowslide happened, which wasn't blocked off.
Deputies say the avalanche happened in the area between Scott Chute and Promised Land near Scott Chair around 10 a.m. on Friday.
PCSO says at this time there is no reason to believe any other area of Alpine Meadows is in jeopardy.
They say Search and Rescue and the PCSO Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team responded.
Officials with Alpine Meadows say Ski Patrol responded immediately and searched the area with the help of additional resort personnel and members of the public using avalanche transceivers, probes, RECCO Rescue System technology and avalanche rescue dog teams.
Alpine Meadows says they declared their search complete at 11:45 a.m.
They say avalanche mitigation work had been performed in the area prior to opening to skiers and riders for the day.
Alpine Meadows says the cause of the avalanche is unknown at this time and is pending an additional investigation.
They say the two men were skiing in a permitted, 'in-bounds' area and were not breaking any laws.
The Sierra Avalanche Center rated avalanche conditions on Friday as “considerable” for all elevations. Officials noted that the storm that moved through Northern California late this week brought a high degree of uncertainty to snowpack instability.
An avalanche at Alpine Meadows in 1982 killed seven people, including several employees of the ski resort.
The Comstock family released this statement on Friday:
Cole was the most kind hearted and caring person to his friends and even strangers. He always went out of his way to make everyone feel loved and cared for and welcome and was always the first person to introduce himself to new people because he just wanted to be everyone's friend. He was extremely hardworking and put everyone else's needs first and never complained once about it. He loved skiing and loved living life. He deeply loved his friends, his family, and above all his wife. He supported everyone with all of his heart and was a true example of unconditional love. If there is one thing about Cole's life to take away, remember to always be kind to one another and celebrate each others victories, not because you need something, but because it is the right thing to do.
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