Skier lost on Christmas found dead near Northstar resort

TRUCKEE — The body of a skier who vanished in a Lake Tahoe-area ski resort on Christmas was found Saturday, miles away from where authorities and volunteers had been searching for him.

Search-and-rescue volunteers discovered the body of Rory Angelotta, 43, near a residential neighborhood and roughly 3 miles from the boundaries of the Northstar California Resort, the Placer County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Saturday.

Authorities say Angelotta told friends he was going skiing at Northstar before meeting them for dinner.

Over six days, more than 200 people searched for Angelotta using skis, snowmobiles and a helicopter before suspending the effort. During that period, a freak storm caused whiteout conditions, subfreezing temperatures and dumped over 7 feet of snow.

The sheriff's office said because Angelotta had traveled a “considerable distance” from the resort, the area where his body was found near a residential area in the town of Truckee was not included in the initial search area.

“It is possible Angelotta was attempting to find the neighborhood near Truckee when he succumbed to the elements,” authorities said, adding that there was no indication of any suspicious or unusual activity.

Angelotta’s family issued a statement through the sheriff’s office thanking the searchers.

“The Angelotta family is deeply touched by the overwhelming outpouring of prayers and support during this extremely difficult time and personally wants to thank everyone that accompanied in the search and assisted them during these last two weeks," the family said.

The sheriff’s office offered the family its condolences and said it hopes “this will provide them closure to this tragic event.”