David Alan Wright

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2 skiers die in Sierra (Reno Gazette-Journal, 26 Jan 1992, page 1)

2 skiers die in Sierra
Bodies recovered from rugged terrain near Ski Incline
INCLINE VILLAGE - Washoe County Search and Rescue crews late Saturday night hauled out the bodies of two men believed to be skiers missing since Jan. 17.
A canine search and rescue team based in Marin County, Calif., found the bodies in a steep canyon at the 7,800-foot level, a little north and halfway between Ski Incline and Diamond Peak. Their identities could not be confirmed immediately. But they appear to be David Wright, 49, and Robert Richardson, 52, both of Reno. Officials plan formal identification during an autopsy today.
“It appears hypothermia is probably going to be a factor,” said Deputy Coroner Steve Finnell. “They were not necessarily dressed properly for an extended outing.”
Ski poles were found near the bodies lying near natural shelters. The skis have not been found. The coroner’s office said it can’t fix exact times of deaths but suspects they were on the first or second day.
A Sno-Cat with a Washoe County deputy corner, a Washoe County Sheriff’s Office forensics investigator and search crews set out at 5:31 p.m. from the Sheep Flat command post on Mount Rose Highway to retrieve the bodies. They had to climb 500- to 1,000-foot embankments. One body came in about 10 p.m.; the second, about 11:30 p.m.
Washoe County sheriff’s Lt. Jim Nadeau said: “We have no idea why they went to that particular location. We suspect they were just trying to get downhill to go somewhere.”
Wright’s red 1983 Toyota pickup truck was found at Sheep Flat, suggesting that was their starting point.
Nadeau said the bodies were about a mile as the crow flies from the command post. But search crews said the winding route to the Incline drainage creek was about 7 miles to 8 miles on the ground.
The search dogs found the bodies about 2:30 p.m. Searchers did not believe foul play was involved.
Wright and Richardson went cross-country skiing on Jan. 17 in the Sheep Flat area near Mount Rose. Law enforcement authorities did not know they were missing until Thursday night.
More than 50 people helped in Saturday’s search, with two helicopters and a plane helping from the air.
Wright worked about 15 years as a licensed practical nurse at Washoe Medical Center in Reno. Hospital officials asked police on Tuesday to check his home after he failed to show up for work.

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