New York man dies in ‘serious incident’ at Heavenly
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — A New York man died Wednesday, March 1, at Heavenly Mountain Resort, officials said Thursday.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office identified the deceased as 46-year-old Wesley Whalen.
Heavenly Communications Manager Cole Zimmerman confirmed a serious incident took place and said ski patrol responded to an expert trail near Roundabout on the California side of the resort where they discovered Whalen. After further emergency care and evaluation, the man was pronounced deceased at the California Lodge base area and transferred to the El Dorado County Coroner.
Sgt. Alexander Sorey said his office received a call at 2:49 p.m. for a report of a deceased person. A coroner detective arrived after the decedent was pronounced dead by medical personnel and completed a death investigation. The next of kin was notified.
“Heavenly Mountain Resort, Heavenly Ski Patrol, and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” said Tom Fortune, VP and COO of Heavenly and the Tahoe Region.
Heavenly, according to the company’s website, had received 86 inches, or more than 7 feet, of snow in the past week, with much coming from a blizzard on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday, the day began with lingering snow showers before turning into a sunny, bluebird day.
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