A family is in mourning after a father of three was killed in an avalanche in California. He passed away after getting caught in the falling snow earlier this week.
Taking to social media, his heartbroken wife shared an emotional tribute to her husband. She said that her "heart will never recover" from his passing. 42-year-old Chris Thomason died after an avalanche buried his snowmobile. He had been vacationing with five friends near Castle Peak on January 5.
That's when he was caught in a falling avalanche of snow. Authorities managed to pull him from the snow. An off-duty Truckee Fire medic, who had been in the area, attempted CPR on the father of three. But he had been unable to resuscitate him. Sadly, Thomason passed away at the scene before first responders could arrive.
Buried In Avalanche
After the avalanche accident, his wife took to social media.
"My heart hurts every minute of every day, not only for me and Penny, but for his other two daughters, Emma and Aspen," his wife Kerri Kurtz said on Facebook.
"My heart will never recover from this," Kurtz added. "I love and miss him so much. I have not stopped crying since I was told he is gone—my worst nightmare. He was so deeply loved."
Meanwhile, friends remembered him as loving the outdoors and enjoying boating, biking, and snowmobiling. He also owned the Thomason Auto Group as well. It's a tragedy and also a warning to others.
The Sierra Avalanche Center warned of another avalanche. The organization highlighted the avalanches that happened already this year.
"Multiple people got caught in avalanches yesterday, including one fatal burial," they said.
"Triggering an avalanche remains possible today, especially on slopes where wind-blown snow has filled in terrain features near ridges, on open slopes, and in gullies at all elevations (even lower elevations)."
