Death of Actor Christopher Allport

Hot news: Christopher Allport

TV star Allport Victim by Storm:Christopher Allport killed by the snowstorms roaring towards Southern California.

Skiing enthusiast Mr Allport, 60, was reported missing after a trio of "freak" avalanches. His body was found near the Mountain High ski resort in Wrightwood.

The veteran character actor had appeared on US shows including ER, Felicity, and Matlock.

He wrote a story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times in 2004 about the pleasures of backcountry skiing.

"Any excursion into the mountains requires awareness," he wrote. "Have fun, but be careful."

Friday's avalanches also killed Michael McKay, 23, an off-duty member of the resort's ski patrol, and Darin Coffey, 31. Both were skiing out of the resort boundaries.

Avalanches are unusual in the San Gabriel Mountains, authorities said, but so was the 3ft or more of new snow that has hit the region in a matter of days this week.

Avalanches were "a freak occurrence" in the local mountains, said Pete Olson, president of Mt Baldy Ski Resorts. "We depend on snow-making, and snow-making doesn't lead to avalanches," he said. "It usually doesn't snow enough to make anything happen up here."

A missing snowboarder was found on Saturday after spending the night on the mountain. Oscar Gonzales, 24, said he got lost when he left the marked ski trails at the resort and sheltered in an old plane fuselage.


http://zakuta.blogspot.com/2008/01/christopher-allport-news.html