Snowmobiler falls through ice, drowns at Boca lake

TRUCKEE - Friends of a Truckee resident, who drowned Friday after riding his snowmobile into a stretch of open water, say he was an accomplished rider.

Truckee-resident Troy Taylor, 36, died Friday after riding his snowmobile into a stretch of open water on half-frozen Boca Reservoir.

It was unclear whether Taylor knew of the stretch of open water; however, a friend of Taylor's who had accompanied him on a fishing trip at Stampede Reservoir that day and who witnessed the incident "said that the victim was a very accomplished snowmobiler, and in the past he has done some open water crossings on a snowmobile," according to Nevada County Deputy Sheriff Ron Smith.

"We don't know what his goal was, but it appears that (crossing the reservoir) was his goal," Smith said.

Taylor was pronounced dead at Tahoe Forest Hospital at 5:50 p.m. after attempts to resuscitate him failed.

According to eyewitnesses, Taylor drove his snowmobile onto the ice on the western side of Boca Reservoir around 4 p.m. Taylor made it about halfway across the reservoir on the ice before hitting a stretch of open water. He was able to ride between 75 and 100 feet on the open water before his snowmobile lost power and sank.

Emergency dispatchers received a call at 4:07 p.m. and rescue personnel from the Nevada County Sheriff's Officer, the Truckee Fire District, the California Highway Patrol, the Truckee Police Department and the U.S. Forest Service responded.

Firefighters in an air boat were able to locate Taylor's snowmobile sitting on the bottom in approximately eight feet of water; however, rescuers were unable to find Taylor's body until a CHP helicopter arrived.

With the help of the helicopter, Taylor's body was located about 5:25 p.m. and divers with the Truckee Fire District were able to recover it.