Mother and son die in snow slide at Kirkwood

A woman and her son visiting with other family members at Kirkwood Ski Resort on Sunday, March 4 died in a snow slide near their condominium, according to the Alpine County Sheriff's Office.

Olga Perkovic, 50, and her seven-year-old son were reported missing at 6:40 p.m. They had last been seen on Chair Seven at 4:00 p.m. The search was focused on that area.

At 9:00 p.m., a neighbor of the missing pair noticed ski gloves on the snow adjacent to their condominium. The neighbor investigated the gloves and found the pair buried underneath three feet of snow. They were unconscious.

Rescuers immediately uncovered them, administered medical aid and both patients were transported by Care Flight and Cal Star to Barton Memorial Hospital and Renown Medical Center but they did not survive.

Deputies determined after an investigation that Ms. Perkovic and her son returned to the Edelweiss condominium building by skiing a different route than before, taking them through a wooded area in the complex. They skied under a roof where snow piled on slide down onto the pair.

Ms. Perkovic was visiting Kirkwood with her mother and three children. The family is from San Francisco. The resort is 34 miles south of South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

"The Alpine County Sheriff's Office, along with all the involved emergency personnel, offer our condolences to Ms. Perkovic's husband, David Goodstein, their family and friends," the department said in a press release.

“Kirkwood Mountain Resort, Kirkwood Ski Patrol, and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” said Doug Perini, Vice President and General Manager of Kirkwood Mountain Resort.

(The story was updated when Vail Resorts responded at 8:53 p.m.)