The bodies of nine backcountry skiers, tragically killed in a California avalanche four days ago, have been recovered, authorities confirmed on Saturday, concluding a harrowing operation hindered by intense snowfall.
A search team located the remains of eight victims, with the ninth individual, missing and presumed dead since Tuesday’s avalanche on Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe, also found “relatively close” to the others.
Severe white-out conditions on Tuesday had initially prevented its detection.
Recovery efforts had been suspended for several days due to heavy snow and the persistent threat of further avalanches.
On Saturday morning, helicopters from the California National Guard and California Highway Patrol hoisted the bodies from the mountain, transporting them to nearby snowcats – specialized vehicles for snow travel.
Officials stated on Friday that water was being used for avalanche mitigation, a technique designed to intentionally release unstable snowpack and reduce risk for rescue crews. The extensive operation involved California Highway Patrol air operations, Nevada County Sheriff’s search and rescue, Tahoe Nordic search and rescue, Pacific Gas & Electric, and the Sierra Avalanche Center.
Victims of the Lake Tahoe avalanche included women and mothers of competitive youth skiers from a nearby resort, according to local reports.
After days of increasingly brutal conditions in California’s Sierra Nevada, the group of 15 backcountry skiers was slammed Tuesday by a treacherous avalanche the size of a football field that left eight dead and one missing.
All but one of the four professional guides were killed, while the remaining five confirmed victims were clients. One person is still missing, presumed dead.
A person familiar with the circumstances, who requested anonymity due to the situation’s sensitivity, told the San Francisco Chronicle that most of the guests on the tour were “women and mothers of children on the ski team at nearby Sugar Bowl Resort,” the newspaper reported.
