Missing Skier Found Deceased at Northstar Resort

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a 21-year-old skier was found deceased on the morning of Thursday, February 19, 2026.

The man had been reported missing at 11 p.m. the night prior:

“Around 11 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, deputies received a report of a possible missing person,” writes the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. “They immediately began investigating and located the vehicle of the missing 21-year-old man in the Northstar parking lot. Based on the investigation, it was determined he had gone skiing and did not return as expected.”

15 search-and-rescue skiers, a snowcat, and two snowmobile teams were deployed to search the area. The man was found deceased at 9 a.m. on Thursday. Details about the cause of death have not been made public at this time.

Update, February 20, 7:48 a.m.: Northstar resort has confirmed that the victim is Colin Kang, a 21-year-old from Fremont. Kang was an employee at Northstar, but was off-duty when the incident occurred. His body was found on the Sugar Pine Glade, a treed run accessible from the resort’s Martis Camp Express. See the map below.

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office’s full post is available below.

Keep reading for more on this story.

The incident marks the third skier death at Northstar in just two weeks. POWDER reported on the death of a 26-year-old skier on February 6th and a 53-year-old skier on February 15th.

The deaths at Northstar come in the midst of California’s deadliest avalanche in modern history. Eight skiers died, and one is still missing, after a tragic backcountry avalanche on Castle Peak just a few miles from Northstar.

Northstar has recorded 80 inches of snowfall over the last seven days.

Our thoughts are with the friends and family of the deceased. POWDER will update this article as more information is made available.

Related: Avalanche Association Releases Sobering Statement on California Tragedy, Warns Skiers