According to a Facebook post, an injured skier was rescued from steep, snowy terrain near Castle Peak on the night of Saturday, April 19.
The skier, standing at 6'8", suffered a broken femur around 9:30 p.m. while backcountry skiing at an elevation of approximately 8,000 feet.
The post says the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office and CAL FIRE NEU responded to the scene and requested additional assistance due to the challenging terrain.
A CALSTAR air ambulance landed in a nearby meadow about 250 yards from the victim, and two paramedics hiked up a steep, icy embankment to reach him.
Given the difficulty of the situation and terrain, Falcon 30 was called in for a hoist rescue.
Using night vision goggles, the crew lowered a rescue specialist, a Sked backboard, and a Helitack Air Bag to the injured skier.
The skier was stabilized and hoisted to safety before being flown to the Boreal Ski Resort parking lot.
The Truckee Fire Protection District then transported the skier to Tahoe Forest Hospital.
The operation, shared by the Placer County Sheriff's Office on Facebook, highlights the successful coordination of multiple agencies involved in this complex total darkness nighttime rescue.
(The Placer County Sheriff's Office contributed to this story.)
