[Nfbc-info] Search Suspended for Missing Ski Instructor Carson May

[Nancy Lynn]

Search Suspended for Missing Ski Instructor Carson May, Missing in 
Avalanche-Prone Area
by Rachael Trost

The search for missing California ski instructor Carson May, who disappeared 
in an avalanche-prone area north of Lake Tahoe, was suspended Tuesday night. 
Carson May, 23, was last seen skiing on January 14, 2015.  Placer County 
Sheriff's Office

Thirty searches from multiple search and rescue teams and ski patrols headed 
out through heavy wind and snow around 10:00 am to canvass the terrain near 
Lake Mary for any signs of May. Officials with the Placer County Sheriff's 
Office say they met with the May family Tuesday to discuss the search before 
officially suspending it.

"It is with regret that we must suspend the effort to locate Carson," a 
press release from the sheriff's office read. "Should new information become 
available and environmental conditions allow, additional follow-up searches 
may occur."

May, 23, was last seen Thursday afternoon when he was off-duty and skiing at 
the Sugar Bowl Resort. He never showed up for his ride home, and his 
belongings were found inside his locker at the resort Friday.

According to officials, May's cellphone had pinged Friday in an area "with 
recent avalanche activity," but has since stopped responding, most likely 
due to a dead battery.

The family is asking for privacy at this time, but Mike May, Carson's 
father, told Dateline's Josh Mankiewicz the situation is "a parent's worst 
nightmare" and the entire family is very worried that Carson has not yet 
been located.

One of the areas searches canvased in the search for Carson May.  Placer 
County Sheriff's Office

Two dog teams, two snowcats, six snowmobilers and a helicopter were part of 
the search Monday, where teams focused on a grid north of Mount Judah. No 
signs of May were discovered. Weather hindered search efforts over the 
weekend, preventing ground crews from canvassing some backcountry areas May 
had been known to sometimes ski. More snow is expected as the week 
progresses.

Carson May is the oldest son of Mike and Jennifer May. Mike May set the 
world's speed record for downhill skiing by a blind individual. He had been 
blinded at the age of three in a chemical explosion, but regained part of 
his sight after a revolutionary transplant and stem-cell procedure in 2000. 
Dateline NBC featured his story later that year.

Both Carson and his younger brother, Wyndham, have been skiing from a very 
young age.





Rachael Trost