>>>
>>> GOOD
>>> GOOD AFTERNOON, YOU'RE WATCHING THE ABC TO NEWS@5:00 I'M CHRIS THOMAS.
AND I'M A LOT OF ROSSETTO.
ONCE GEARS DEAD AND ANOTHER IS
INJURED.
>> WEB TEAM COVERAGE, JOHN
BARTELL IS LIVE FROM ALPINE
MEADOWS.
AND WE HAVE MORE FROM THE
HOSPITAL.
BUT FIRST, LET'S START WITH
JOHN, BRING US UP TO SPEED.
>> Reporter: WE ARE OUT HERE AT
PINE MEADOWS RIGHT NOW AND
TAKING A LOOK OVER MY SHOULDER,
THIS IS THE MOUNTAIN WHERE THE
AVALANCHE HAPPENED.
THERE WAS A SNOW THAT JUMPED
OUT HERE.
IF YOU LOOK RIGHT BEHIND AS
THEY HAVE BEEN GROOMING THE
SNOW, THERE'S ABOUT 20 INCHES
OF SNOW THAT HIT THE SIERRA
OVER AT ALPINE MEADOWS, AND
THAT SNOW HAS BEEN PILING UP
HERE, IS GROOMED.
BUT UP THERE, IT IS SOLID SNOW.
>> YOU'VE GOT ROCK, BUT YOU
KNOW, IT'S EXPERT RUNS, IT'S
NOT REGULAR RUNS.
>> Reporter: IS DIFFICULT TO SEE
, BUT JUST AFTER 10 AM THIS
MOUNTAIN TURNED INTO A
AVALANCHE.
>> I HEARD SOMETHING REALLY BAD
HAD HAPPENED.
>> Reporter: IT IS UNCLEAR WHAT
TRIGGERED THE SNOWFALL BUT IN
FRONT OF THIS PATH WERE SOME
SKIERS.
>> WERE YOU ABLE TO IDENTIFY
ONE VICTIM AND PULL ANOTHER
OUT.
UNFORTUNATE UNFORTUNATELY ONE
DID MAKE IT.
>> Reporter: SO IT'S A LITTLE
HARD TO TELL WHERE THE
AVALANCHE HAPPENED, BUT THIS IS
THE RIDGE WHERE IT HAPPENED SO
WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT
THE MAP.
ALPINE MEADOWS TELL US THAT THE
AVALANCHE HAPPENED IN THE SCOTT
CHUTE AREA.
THIS IS A ROCKY AREA, A PLACE
WHERE SNOW CAN ACCUMULATE RIGHT
HERE.
THE PLASTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE SAID THAT IT WAS 34-YEAR-
OLD COLE COMSTOCK .
>> WE WERE UP THERE RUNNING A
TRAVERSE LINE AND LOOKED TO OUR
RIGHT AND SAW THE SLOT SNOW
START TO GO, WE YELLED FOR
ANYBODY THAT WAS IN THE AREA TO
CLEAR, BUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW
SOME PEOPLE DIDN'T MAKE IT OUT
IN TIME.
>> Reporter: CONNOR SAYS THAT
HE SAW THE AVALANCHE HAPPENED
BUT HE DID HIS BEST TO WARN
OTHERS AROUND HIM.
>> SCARY TO BE IN THE AREA FOR
THAT.
MY PRAYERS GO OUT TO ALL THAT
WERE LOST.
>> Reporter: SKI PATROL SEARCH
THE AREA AND CONFIRM THAT NO
ONE ELSE WAS CAUGHT IN THE
AREA.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY
THIS AREA WAS CLOSED OFF FOR AN
INVESTIGATION.
SO ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS THAT
AREA, THAT ROCKY AREA THAT IS
FULL OF THAT SNOW, IT SKIERS
CAN GO OUT IN THIS AREA, AND
THIS MORNING WE ARE TOLD THAT
SKI PATROL DID GO AND PATROL
THOSE AVALANCHES BUT THIS IS
JUST A VERY DANGEROUS AREA.
AND SKIERS GO OUT AT THEIR OWN
RISK.
BACK TO YOU.
>> THAT IS THE SAD REALITY OF
IT AND IT'S A HEARTBREAKING
DEVELOPMENT OVER THE HOLIDAY
WEEKEND.
JOHN, THANK YOU FOR THE LIVE
UPDATE.
>> AS WE MENTIONED, ONE PERSON
WAS KILLED IN THE AVALANCHE.
WE ARE JOINED WITH MORE ON THAT
VICTIM.
>> Reporter: MADISON, TONIGHT
WE LEARNED THAT THERE IS A MAN
RECOVERING AT TAHOE MEDICAL
CENTER DUE TO SEVERE LOWER BODY
INJURIES.
THE AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT
RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF THAT
SURVIVOR, BUT EARLIER TODAY ABC
10 SPOKE WITH THE WIFE OF COLE
COMSTOCK, THE WIFE OF THE 34-
YEAR-OLD MAN WHO WAS KILLED .
KATELYN COMSTOCK, SHE DESCRIBED
HER HUSBAND AS A VERY LOVING
MAN, A GOOD FRIEND AND A GOOD
PERSON.
THEY WERE MARRIED FOR FOUR
YEARS.
SHE SAID SHE WASN'T WITH HER
HUSBAND DURING THE AVALANCHE
BECAUSE THEY WERE SKIING ON
DIFFERENT SLOPES.
BUT SHE TOLD US ABOUT THEIR
LAST MOMENT TOGETHER.
>> AS SOON AS WE HIT THE TIP OF
OUR POLLS, WE TOUCH TIPS, AS WE
CALL IT, AND WE TIPS AND THAT I
LOVE YOU, AND SAID I LOVE YOU,
TOO.
AND WE JUST WENT OUR SEPARATE
WAYS.
>> Reporter: NO KATELYN SAYS
HER HUSBAND HAS BEEN SKIING FOR
11 YEARS, SO HE WAS AN AVID
SKIER.
SHE SAID THEY ALWAYS WERE SAFE
BUT THIS INCIDENT APPEARS TO BE
A FREAK ACCIDENT.
SHE WAS ALSO ABLE TO CONFIRM
WITH US TONIGHT THAT THE PERSON
THAT IS IN THE HOSPITAL
RECOVERING WAS A FRIEND OF HER
HUSBAND, COLES AND THE
FAMILIES.
HOWEVER, FOR PRIVACY OF