Missing New York Skier Found in California Wearing Same Ski Gear

A skier who went missing in New York has been found thousands of miles away in California wearing the same ski gear he had on when he vanished.

Constantinos “Danny” Filippidis, 49, of Toronto, had been skiing with a group of firefighters and retired firefighters on Wednesday, Feb.7 when he decided to go for “one last run” on New York’s Whiteface Mountain. When he failed to return to the resort, where all of his belongings remained, including his passport, his friends reported him missing, the Daily Mail reports.

The Department of Homeland Security, New York State Police, New York Department of Conservation, United States Customs and Border Protection and officials in Toronto assisted with the search alongside hundreds of volunteers, spending about 7,000 hours combing the mountain with the help of helicopters and dogs, but finding no sign of the veteran firefighter.

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, the search for Filippidis was called off by New York State Police when he was discovered 2,900 miles away in Sacramento, California. He had reportedly been wearing the same helmet, goggles, and other ski gear he had been wearing when he disappeared when he contacted police in Sacramento. Authorities reported that Filippidis was in a confused state and unsure of how he had ended up in California, but otherwise in good health.

“On February 13, 2018, after a 5 1/2 day search, Constantinos ‘Danny’ Filippidis of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, was located alive and in good health in Sacramento, California. He has made contact with local authorities there, ending a multi-agency search at Whiteface Mountain ski resort in Wilmington New York,” the New York Police Department said in a press release.

It is not known how Filippidis made it to California, as it is not believed that he flew. He also didn’t have a history of mental illness or substance abuse.

The circumstances around his disappearance remain unclear.