Eight skiers caught in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California were confirmed dead and a ninth skier is presumed dead after a rescue team braved harsh conditions to search the area for any survivors, Nevada County, California, Sheriff Shannan Moon said on Wednesday.
The tragic update comes after rescuers found six survivors near Truckee, California, and brought them to safety following one of the deadliest avalanches in U.S. history. Fifteen, including four guides and 11 clients, were on their way back from a three-day backcountry excursion to Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains when they were caught in an avalanche the size of a football field on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Authorities initially said there were 16 total skiers, but they later said that one person who was planning on going on the trip backed out at the last minute.
Authorities will attempt to recover the bodies of the deceased skiers when the weather calms down and allows for safer travel.
“Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing, as well as our search for the remaining skier,” Moon said.
Boreal Mountain Ski Resort said that roughly 30 inches of snow came down in the area within 24 hours between Monday and Tuesday. Search teams made up of around 50 people braved a blinding snow storm during their rescue operation and were forced to ditch their snow cat vehicles for skis when they got within two miles of the avalanche site to avoid causing another avalanche. Up to 18 inches of snow is expected for the area on Thursday and Friday, which could push the authorities’ timeline for recovering the bodies back even further. One of the deceased skiers was the spouse of a person on the rescue team, authorities said.
The group of skiers were part of a guided tour that included nine women and six men. Five of the survivors were clients of the guide company, Blackbird Mountain Guides, and one survivor was a guide. Blackbird Mountain Guides has faced scrutiny over its decision to move ahead with the backcountry ski trip despite the forecast for harsh weather and the avalanche risk. Sheriff Moon said during a press conference on Wednesday that she talked to the guide company about its decision.
The area near Truckee is one of the most popular destinations for skiers and is known for its beautiful scenery and heavy snowfall.
“The backcountry, it’s beautiful. There’s not a lot of people out there, and that’s where a lot of people like to recreate,” Sheriff Moon said. “I myself like to recreate in that area, but Mother Nature, it doesn’t seem to matter, no matter how prepared you are, no matter how experienced you are.”
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