A skier from San Francisco was rescued last weekend after getting lost near a Lake Tahoe-area resort and spending a night in the wilderness, officials said.
Mihayl Petkov, 34, was skiing at Kirkwood Ski Resort on Saturday when he went out of bounds off the back side of the mountain, the Amador County Sheriff's Office said.
He tried to ski to safety, but he fell in deep powder and couldn't get his skis back on, the sheriff's office said.
He hiked through several feet of snow until dark and managed to eventually send a message to his friends asking for help, according to the sheriff's office.
Search and rescue personnel responded to the scene – a remote location east of Silver Lake – but they couldn't reach Petkov due to the dangerous nighttime conditions. A California Highway Patrol helicopter also responded to the scene and located Petkov, but the crew couldn't get to him.
The next morning, crews on the ground and in the air made a second rescue attempt. The helicopter found a safe place to land, scooped Petkov up and took him back to Kirkwood, the sheriff's office said.
The sheriff's office took the opportunity to issue the following safety message to skiers and snowboarders: "If you are skiing at a resort, stay within the boundaries. If you are recreating in the backcountry do not go by yourself. Always be prepared for the worst. If you find yourself in a bad situation, rescuers might not be able to get to you right away."
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