Photo in Courtesy of Ski in Luxury

Winter activities have commenced! Northern resorts and attractions are booming, and travelers can enjoy a snowy escape. Some of the most popular activities are ice skating, sledding, snowboarding, and skiing. For this woman, a vacation filled with skiing and laughter, turned into a dangerous environment she tried to get away from.

Lake Tahoe, a beautiful body of water touching California and Nevada, is home to some gorgeous mountains. With these mountains, people seek adrenaline and head to ski resorts located in the area, which range from all sorts of different choices.

Monica Laso and her friends planned a getaway to Heavenly Ski Resort, a resort in California, anticipating thrill-chasing activities and relaxation. On Thursday, she was ready to go and approached a worker to take a gondola down to the bottom of the mountain at 4:58 PM. At 5:00 PM, the lift abruptly stopped.

A panic set in, as she tirelessly called out for help until she lost her voice. She had no phone or source of light, hours past by, temperatures were below freezing and she kept warm by rubbing her hands and feet together. Monica Laso’s friends set in a report for her disappearance after not seeing her back at the resort.

To make matters worse, there was even a deadly avalanche warning – Laso was sitting in the 23°F, Frigid, pitch black night, just hoping that someone would find her,

At 8:30 AM The South Lake Tahoe Fire Department received a call about a freezing woman, she was only found by the staff because they continued the gondolas movement for the next morning. Luckily, she was not injured in any way — just extremely cold.

Laso got very lucky in this situation, there were incredible risks, like hypothermia.Hypothermia is when the body can no longer produce heat, being exposed to cold like this can lead to cardiac arrest.

The resort states that they are handling this situation with seriousness, and they want to ensure that all guests know that they safety is their top priority when being there.