California avalanche kills father of three

A beloved father of three was killed in a California avalanche this week, officials said — as his wife posted a gut-wrenching goodbye on social media saying her “heart will never recover.”

Chris Thomason, 42, was killed when his snowmobile was buried by crushing snow while on a trip with five friends near Castle Peak near Castle Peak on Jan. 5, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said.

Thomason was pulled from the snow around 2:19 p.m. and given CPR by an off-duty Truckee Fire medic who happened to be in the area, but it was too late, officials said.

“My heart hurts every minute of every day, not only for me and Penny, but for his other two daughters, Emma and Aspen,” his heartbroken wife Kerri Kurtz said on Facebook.

“My heart will never recover from this,” Kurtz added. “I love and miss him so much. I have not stopped crying since I was told he is gone—my worst nightmare. He was so deeply loved.”

Friends remembered Thomason — who lived in Bend, Oregon — as a passionate outdoorsman who enjoyed snowmobiling, boating and mountain biking, according to NEWS4.

Thomason also co-owned the Thomason Auto Group, which was started by his father and included three dealerships, according to local reports

The Sierra Avalanche Center warned others that the hazards are far from over.

“Multiple people got caught in avalanches yesterday, including one fatal burial,” they said.

“Triggering an avalanche remains possible today, especially on slopes where wind-blown snow has filled in terrain features near ridges, on open slopes, and in gullies at all elevations (even lower elevations).”