Rescue teams searching California’s Lake Tahoe backcountry have recovered eight bodies following Tuesday’s avalanche in the Castle Peak area.
One skier remains unaccounted for and is presumed dead, according to Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon.
The avalanche struck at approximately 11.30am PST on Tuesday, sweeping across an area the size of a football field.
Fifteen skiers were initially reported missing after the snow engulfed them.
Six members of the group survived the disaster, police said.
“I want to offer my condolences to the family in this very trying time,” Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said on Wednesday.
The victims comprise seven women and two men.
Officials revealed that one of the deceased was married to a member of the search-and-rescue teams, making the operation “challenging emotionally”.
The eight bodies remain buried beneath the snow and cannot be retrieved due to “pretty horrific” conditions.
One of the dead skiers was married to a member of the search-and-rescue team
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NEVADA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICEAn additional three feet of snow has blanketed the area since the avalanche occurred, Tahoe National Forest supervisor Chris Feutrier confirmed.
“The hazard remains high,” he said.
Around 50 crew members from two teams carried out the rescue effort, navigating extreme weather with specialised equipment.
Search parties reached a location roughly two miles from where survivors had constructed makeshift shelters, then skied the remaining distance.
Two survivors required carrying to safety as they “could not walk because of the injuries they sustained during the avalanche”, Sheriff Moon said.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon delivered the update on Wednesday
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REUTERS
Both were transported to hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.
The group comprised 11 recreational skiers and four guides operating under Blackbird Mountain guided tours.
Among those who escaped, one was a guide and five were clients of the tour company.
The avalanche struck as the party was returning from a three-day excursion in the backcountry.
Fifteen skiers were initially reported missing after the snow engulfed them
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NEVADA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICEFamilies of those who died have been informed, though authorities have not publicly identified any of the victims.
The Sierra Avalanche Center rated the avalanche at D2.5 on a scale reaching D5, indicating it stretched over half a mile with snow deposits of approximately 6.5 feet.
Conditions remained treacherous on Wednesday, with multiple officials warning of ongoing danger.
“Avoid the back country,” Sheriff Woo urged. “Please allow us to focus all of our resources on continuing to recover these bodies for the family and bring them home.”
