From Review-Herald newspaper report by Paul Elwell:

An avalanche at Sherwin Bowl caused the death of a young man Wednesday afternoon after he was buried in snow for nearly three hours.

Officials declined to release his identity at press time, but the 20-year-old victim was a resident of Lakeport, California, Centinela Mammoth Hospital Administrator Evan Cole said. The victim arrived at Centinela at 2:50 p.m. and was pronounced dead 3:45 p.m., Cole said.

Rescuers initially found an 11-year-old boy right after the avalanche occurred 11:55 a.m. He was taken to Centinela as well and was treated for lower back pain and released at 1:20 p.m., Cole said.

After continuous probing, Ric Larsen, a member of Mountain Maintenance, a division of Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol, discovered their dead black dog at the "tree line" of one of the pine trees.

Larsen then discovered the 20-year-old victim near the vicinity of the dog. He said the victim was discovered near a tree.

Preliminary reports indicated there were more involved in the incident, including several other youngsters, Town of Mammoth Lakes Spokesperson Jeff Irons said. However, rescuers soon found out only two were in the area when the avalanche hit.

The pair and the dog were reported to be roaming the area near Tamarack Street in the Old Mammoth area when the avalanche occurred.

Among those who aided the search were the June Lake Search and Rescue team, the Mammoth Lakes police and fire departments, U.S. Forest Service and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol.

From Los Angeles Times newspaper:

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. - An avalanche crashed down a steep slope in this Sierra ski resort community Wednesday morning, burying a 20-year-old man and his 11-year-old nephew. Officials said the boy escaped unharmed almost immediately, but his uncle was found dead about three hours later.

Rescuers with probing sticks dug feverishly until they were certain no others had been trapped in the 100-yard-wide pile of snow.

The avalanche occurred at 11:55 a.m., a few hours after one the most powerful winter storms in years had dumped up to five feet of snow in the mountains around Mammoth Lakes. The snowfall added to an already substantial snowpack in the Sierra, and the total accumulation in some places was said to be more than 12 feet deep.

Witnesses said as many as a dozen people had been playing in the snow at the base of Sherwin Bowl when the snow on the northeast face of the ridge above them gave way.

The witnesses called for help, and a search was launched by police and fire crews from the city of Mammoth Lakes, along with personnel from the Mammoth Lakes Ski Patrol, the Mono County Sheriff's Department and the June Lake Search and Rescue Team.

"When I arrived, the boy was already out," said Bruce MacAfee, the Mammoth Lakes police chief. "He actually swam with the avalanche and was able to free himself."

Marc Hannon, 26, a member of the Mammoth Lakes Volunteer Fire Department, said the first thing searchers found was the boy's snow board, which was buried about 20 feet from where the boy had clawed his way out.

"We found a hat 20 feet beyond that, then a binding for the snow board," Hannon said. "We discovered a dog that had been killed. . . .

"For the next three hours we were probing. Five minutes after we were relieved by some other searchers, they found the other guy. He was buried in the snow next to a tree."

The man was rushed by ambulance to nearby Mammoth-Centinela Hospital, where efforts to revive him were unsuccessful. The boy was treated at the hospital for minor back pains and released.

The identities of the man and boy were withheld pending notification of their families.

Officials called off the search about an hour after the man was found, satisfied that there were no other victims.

The National Weather Service had issued an avalanche warning for the eastern Sierra, including the Mammoth Lakes area, about an hour and a half before the avalanche occurred.

The avalanche raises questions about plans for a new ski resort in Sherwin Bowl. Studies are under way on the best methods for controlling avalanches in the event that the new resort is built.

The bowl is a couple of miles from the main Mammoth Mountain ski resort, one of the largest skiing facilities in the world. The area is packed to capacity with vacationers for the peak winter holiday season.

Times correspondent Forstenzer reported from Mammoth Lakes; staff writer Malnic reported from Los Angeles. Correspondent Bennett Kessler in Independence contributed to this story.