Boris Avdeev

Body of Missing Backcountry Skier Found in Sierra

Mono County, CA – The body of an Ann Arbor, Mich. man missing since April 19 was discovered Thursday afternoon in a popular backcountry skiing area on Mount Dana in Mono County.

Boris Avdeev
Boris Avdeev

Searchers with Mono County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue found the body of Boris Avdeev, 31, in Cocaine Chute after discovering his black Honda Civic on May 1 that had been parked near Poole Plant Road off Highway 120, the Tioga Pass Road, since April 19. A note was left under the windshield wiper of the vehicle stating that a solo backcountry skier was heading up Mount Dana Couloir for the day to ski down Cocaine Chute.

With warming temperatures, numerous avalanches had been observed in the area over the past several weeks. In addition to ground teams, search efforts included a helicopter from Fallon Air Station, a Spartan 895 black hawk helicopter from Mather Air Field, two rescue dog teams, and a mutual aid request for Inyo County Sheriff’s, Douglas County Sheriff’s, El Dorado County Sheriff’s and Yosemite Search and Rescue teams.

Avdeev was reportedly an experienced backcountry skier who was scheduled to begin a fellowship this fall at the University of California, Berkeley. The final cause of death is pending autopsy and toxicology results.

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