LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A hiker died Monday afternoon in a reported avalanche on a trail at Mount Charleston, Las Vegas Metro police said.
The man, who was identified by the Clark County coroner’s office as 32-year-old Punan Zhou from Las Vegas, was reportedly caught in a backcountry avalanche around 12:30 p.m., sources told the 8 News Now Investigators on Monday afternoon.
The coroner’s office said Zhou’s cause of death is pending.
The avalanche happened above 11,000 feet on the Mummy Spring Trail, sources said. It is considered a “backcountry avalanche,” meaning it happened in a wooded area and is on a smaller scale.
First responders attempted to resuscitate Zhou for 30 minutes but were unsuccessful, sources said. The man’s body was brought down to the main road around 6 p.m.
Parts of the Spring Mountains received nearly a foot of new snow Monday. A winter storm warning was in effect for that part of southern Nevada for Monday afternoon, with heavy snow expected above 7,000 feet.
No avalanche alerts were issued in the Spring Mountains as of Monday evening.
Ski lifts closed at Lee Canyon following a snow assessment Monday afternoon, a source told 8 News Now. Lee Canyon is separate from the Mummy Spring Trail area.
Hikers should also check weather conditions before going out, especially in non-managed areas, Ray Johnson from the Nevada Division of Forestry, said.
The last reported deadly avalanche on Mount Charleston was on Jan. 9, 2005, when a 13-year-old boy was swept off a ski lift and killed.
