Avalanche kills 8 in Northern California; 1 still missing
At least eight people have died after an avalanche struck a guided backcountry skiing group in Northern California, and one person remains missing, according to officials. Six others survived and were rescued from the remote mountain area.
The avalanche occurred at about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the Castle Peak area of Nevada County, located in the Tahoe National Forest northwest of Lake Tahoe. Sheriff Shannan Moon said the group was on the last day of a three-day trip organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides and was returning to the trailhead when the slide hit.
Authorities initially believed 16 people were on the trip, but officials later confirmed that 15 entered the backcountry after one person backed out at the last minute. The group consisted of nine women and six men from multiple states.
The sheriff’s office and Truckee Fire began coordinating a response immediately and requested mutual aid from agencies in California and neighboring Nevada. Roughly 50 rescue personnel deployed into the area under severe weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and gale-force winds.
“Extreme weather conditions, I would say it’s an understatement,” Moon said. “Lots of snow, gale-force winds, winds making it impossible to see.”
A snowcat was able to get within 2 miles of the scene just after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and responders skied the rest of the way. When teams reached the site, they located six survivors who had sheltered together and had begun searching for missing members of their group.
Two of the survivors were unable to walk due to injuries and were transported out by rescuers. The other four were able to make their way to the snowcat.
One of the six survivors was a guide, and the other five were clients. Their ages range from 30 to 55.
Moon said one injured survivor was stabilized and released, and the other is expected to be released from the hospital Wednesday. Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Eight people have been located deceased in the avalanche path. Rescue officials said the victims were found close together and were wearing avalanche beacons.
“Due to the terrain, it’s vertical in nature, we were only able to remove the individuals that had survived,” a rescue official said. “The actual decedents are still located in the avalanche area.”
One of those who died was the spouse of a member of the search and rescue team responding to the avalanche.
“We have put avalanche poles there and done everything we can to make it so that, given the opportunity, we can get in and do a fast recovery if the weather gives us that chance,” the official added.
One person remains missing, and search efforts continue as weather permits. Moon said authorities have informed families that the mission has shifted from rescue to recovery.
The avalanche occurred about one mile from another slide in the Castle Peak area in early January. Storm chaser Colin McCarthy described the incident as the deadliest avalanche in the United States in more than 40 years.
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