A skier spent the night in a remote location east of Silver Lake after going out of bounds off the backside of Kirkwood Saturday, Feb. 10, according to a statement from the Amador County Sheriff’s Office.

On the evening of Feb. 10 the Amador County Sheriff’s Office received a report that 34-year-old Mihayl Petkov of San Francisco was in a remote location and needed help. Petkov had skied out of bounds and was attempting to ski to safety when he fell in powder and could not reattach his skies.

According to the statement, Petkov was able to send a message from his phone asking for friends to call for help after hiking in several feet of snow.

Amador Search and Rescue personnel responded with snowmobiles and a snowcat provided by PG&E, but they were unable to access Petkov due to the dangerous conditions at night. A California Highway Patrol Helicopter responded and located Petkov, but was also unable to access him.

The following morning, the snowmobiles, the snowcat, and the helicopter made a second rescue attempt, this time accompanied by Kirkwood Ski Patrol. This time, the CHP helicopter was able to find a safe place to land and transported Petkov back to Kirkwood.

“If you are skiing at a resort, stay within the boundaries. If you are recreating in the backcountry do not go by yourself. Always be prepared for the worst. If you find yourself in a bad situation, rescuers might not be able to get to you right away,” the statement added in its notes about safety.