A South Lake Tahoe woman was arrested Friday at Heavenly Ski Resort for snowboarding out of bounds.

Sherri L. Leuthner, 25, was seen at 3:30 p.m., lifting the boundary rope and snowboarding under it, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department.

When darkness fell and friends hadn’t seen Leuthner since, EDSO Search and Rescue personnel began looking for the boarder as Saturday’s storm, which dropped well over a foot of snow in the higher elevations, was bearing down on the mountain.

At 8:15 p.m., Leuthner was located in the High Meadows area where she was seen heading earlier that day.

The woman was reportedly cold, wet, and suffering from frostbite and hypothermia. She was treated at the scene and arrested for skiing out of bounds.

“It is a crime to ski or board in any ski resort that is closed to the public,” Deputy Terry Fleck said. Fleck said the High Meadows area near the Ridge Run is an illegal area.

High Meadows is an area with steep cliffs and high avalanche danger, according to Fleck, who said the EDSO will not tolerate skiing or boarding in areas closed to the public.

In addition to the criminal charges, Leuthner may also be held liable for the expenses incurred in her rescue operation.

Leuthner is not currently in custody.

Tahoe Daily Tribune E-mail: tribune@tahoe.com

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