A skier who vanished in a Lake Tahoe-area ski resort on Christmas day is presumed dead, authorities said.
The search for Rory Angelotta of Truckee, Calif. was being called off because there was “no realistic possibility Rory has survived the severe winter conditions,” the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.
Efforts will continue to find his body, the agency said.
Angelotta, 43, worked at a ski shop at the Northstar California Resort and told friends he was going skiing before meeting them for Christmas dinner, the Sheriff’s Office said.
His ski pass was last used Saturday morning on a lift.
Over six days, 220 people from 17 agencies and rescue organizations searched for him using skiers, snowmobiles and a helicopter, the Sheriff’s Office said.
“The search conditions included high winds, whiteout conditions, overnight temperatures in the teens and over seven feet of new snow since the beginning of the search,” the agency said.
Angelotta’s family issued a statement through the Sheriff’s Office thanking the searchers.
“Your prayers have given us strength through this difficult time; please continue to keep the family in your prayers,” the statement said.