A GoFundMe has been launched to help the family of a solar executive who died in an an avalanche near his $1m Lake Tahoe home.
Frederic Dross, 46, was found dead on Monday after the incident on Luther Pass in the northern region of California.
Dross, who leaves behind his wife and two daughters, had worked as the Head of Business Development and Commercial Strategy for Swift Solar.
Prior to that he had also been employed as a reviewer within the Department of Energy for nine years, per his LinkedIn profile.
The family live in South Lake Tahoe inside a $1 million home, which was just a short drive away from Luther Pass.
The fundraiser, which has so far raised over $87,000 as of Thursday morning, described Dross as being ‘generous, positive and energetic’.
It added: ‘Please join me in supporting his wife and 2 daughters by contributing to this fund.
‘The target value is arbitrary, they need our support right now to keep moving through this tough time.’
Frederic Dross, pictured here alongside his family, died on Monday following an incident near Luther Pass
The family live in South Lake Tahoe inside a $1 million home, seen here, which was just a short drive away from Luther Pass
According to The Tahoe Daily Tribune, Dross’ wife found their car at a parking area near the site which is a popular place for backcountry skiing.
In a statement, El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said: ‘On Monday 2/17/25 around 4:08pm El Dorado County Central Dispatch received a call of an overdue backcountry skier around Powderhouse Peak near Luther Pass.
‘The overdue subject’s vehicle was located at a parking area. A Search and Rescue response was requested by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
‘The missing subject was located deceased a short time later by friends in an avalanche area.
‘Due to the dangerous snow conditions the recovery of the deceased began was postponed until early Tuesday 2/18.’
They later added that they had positively identified the body as being Dross, after he was recovered on Tuesday.
On Monday, the Sierra Avalanche Center had reported two large avalanches in the area.
A test carried out indicated that there was sizable avalanches that were powerful enough to injure or kill a person.
Dross’ wife found their car at a parking area near the site which is a popular place for backcountry skiing
Dangerous snow conditions Monday night meant Dross had to be rescued early Tuesday. The cause of the avalanche is unknown. (Pictured: Powderhouse Peak – Luther Pass area)
A cause of death has not been formerly given for Dross, but a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office confirmed that he was found in an avalanche zone.
Dross was known for his commitment in the solar industry, as Jenya Meydbray, who created the donation page, said he was a ‘tireless solar warrior.
Many in his profession honored Dross in heartbreaking posts after his sudden death.
‘His keen insight and commitment pushed us to improve, always challenging us to do better,’ Eedama, a sustainability organization said on LinkedIn.
‘Deeply saddened by the tragic and untimely demise of Frederic Dross. He was a wonderful person. Words can not express the loss we feel. We will miss him a lot…,’ Dr Dinesh Kumar, a solar Photovoltaic expert, wrote.
Joel Jean, the founder of Swift Solar, said he ‘Never met anyone like Frederic.’
‘He was the only person who could keep me in a 1-hour whiteboarding session for 3 hours and still keep me wanting to go on longer. He wasn’t perfect but he was pretty close.
‘He was kind, honest, openhearted, hardworking, ambitious, optimistic, creative, and playful. He brought joy and love to work every day.’
Jean also noted that Tuesday would have been Dross’s three-month anniversary at Swift Solar.
