Four rescued after avalanche at Nevada ski resort

Four people who were reported missing after an avalanche at a Nevada ski resort have been found safe.

The avalanche hit the Lee Canyon ski resort on Monday in south Nevada, around an hour outside of Las Vegas.

Search and rescue teams from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were called to the site to try and locate several people who were reported missing.

They announced on X on Monday that four people were initially reported missing, but now everyone has been located and is safe, adding that they were assisting people off the mountain.

Lee Canyon has experienced about one to two feet of snow within the past two days, and will be closed on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Anyone who has purchased lift tickets will be refunded, Jim Seely, Lee Canyon’s marketing and sales director, told the outlet.

Heavy snow was falling on the Spring Mountains, which includes both Lee Canyon and Mount Charleston, Mr Seely reportedly said.

The avalanche then occurred around 1.20pm in the Lee Canyon ski area, Mr Seely said to the outlet and happened above the Sherwood chairlift and impacted the Black Jack, High Roller and Keno trails.

“The Sherwood lift was immediately stopped, and the resort suspended all operations and ski patrol was dispatched. Guests were asked to leave the resort,” the statement said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Mr Seely added that after the avalanche hit the site, Lee Canyon’s ski patrol and mountain operations teams immediately started to search the area and found one person who needed assistance but was released after being treated at the scene.

“An on-mountain search and a parking lot sweep have been conducted, and currently, everyone is accounted for — there are no active reports of people missing,” Mr Seely said in a statement to the outlet.

The avalanche comes as the National Weather Service warned about a strong winter storm passing through the Las Vegas area from Sunday until around Tuesday night.

The warning had been issued for elevations above 6,000 feet in the Spring Mountains and Sheep Range areas, with a possible one to three feet of snow in these regions.

The National Weather Service also warned of wind gusts of up to 55mph combined with heavy snow that would make for dangerous travel conditions.

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