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Motorists Trapped In Highway 89 Avalanche Take Selfie

Monday, January 23, 2017 | Sacramento, CA
David Ortiz / Courtesy
 

David Ortiz / Courtesy

Update: Two Tahoe-area men say they're doing well after being trapped in an avalanche early Monday morning.

David Ortiz and Neale Shutler say they were driving along Highway 89 between Truckee and Tahoe City when the wall of snow hit.

While the two stayed positive during the experience, Ortiz says there were some concerns.

"We knew we had a limitted supply of oxygen. But, we stayed put and let rescuse services do their job until we started to feel loopy or lightheaded or dizzy," says Ortiz. "We didn't know if another slide was going to happen and we figured we were safer inside the car than outside of it."

Ortiz also says they both had fully-charged cell phones and good service, but had they been just a couple of miles farther down the highway, they would have been in a dead zone.

The California Highway Patrol says when the avalanche hit, it covered nearly 200 feet of the highway up to 12 feet deep.

That roadway is open again.

The two took a selfie in the car prior to being rescued. 

Original: Officials say an avalanche between Tahoe City and Alpine Meadows Road closed southbound state Route 89 early Monday. 

At least two cars were in the path of the avalanche, which measured 200 feet across and 12 feet high. 

On Facebook, the California Highway Patrol in Truckee posted a photo taken by two people trapped in one of the cars. The post was shared by David Ortiz.

The California Highway Patrol says the two men in the photo were able to get out safely and there were no injuries.

In a subsequent post, Ortiz stated, "Huge shoutout to North Tahoe Fire Department and Paramedics. They had us out of there in under an hour."


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