Crews search for Marine missing in Sierra Nevada

BRIDGEPORT, Mono County — Avalanche debris was spotted during a search for a missing Marine who failed to return from a backcountry skiing trip through the Sierra Nevada, authorities said Sunday.

First Lt. Matthew Kraft began trekking the rugged Sierra High Route on Feb. 23 and was scheduled to complete it Monday or Tuesday near Bridgeport, northeast of Yosemite National Park.

The search on Sunday was primarily air-based because “ground searching has proven to be too dangerous due to snow instability and avalanche concerns,” the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. Much of the area was deemed impassable because of heavy snow and rock falls, the statement said.