California search-and-rescue teams have recovered the bodies of all nine missing skiers killed Tuesday in a devastating avalanche in a remote region of Sierra Nevada mountains north of Lake Tahoe.
When a catastrophic avalanche rumbled over a stretch of the High Sierra, dozens of law enforcement officers scoured the mountainside for a group of 15 skiers, including four mountain guides.
Within hours, crews rescued six survivors and discovered eight deceased skiers near the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts. Another skier was still missing, but was presumed dead.
After five days of navigating deep snowpack and treacherous weather conditions, authorities announced they had found the body of the ninth victim.
During a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Nevada County identified the victims as six skiers and three professional mountain guides:
- Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nev., a Blackbird Mountain Guide
- Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs, Calif.
- Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Blackbird Mountain Guide
- Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho
- Michael Henry, 30, from Soda Springs, Calif., a Blackbird Mountain Guide
- Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, Calif.
- Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, Calif.
- Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco, Calif.
- Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, Calif.
Authorities lamented the fast-moving disaster as the deadliest avalanche in modern California history.
“There are no words that truly capture the significance of this loss and our hearts mourn alongside the families of those affected by this catastrophic event,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said in a statement on Saturday. “The weight of this event is felt across many families, friends, and colleagues, and we stand together with them during this difficult time.” Moon said.
The avalanche occurred amid a powerful atmospheric river storm that unleashed several feet of snow onto the Sierra Nevada mountains. First responders maneuvered through the blizzard on snowcats and skis to rescue the survivors.
But the unstable snowpack, high winds and whiteout conditions made search-and-recovery efforts too perilous, prompting first responders to leave behind the bodies of deceased skiers and suspend operations on Wednesday and Thursday.
Authorities carved paths through the deep snow to eventually continue the search, and California Highway Patrol officers found the ninth victim.
The Nevada County Sheriff‘s Office was also assisted by California National Guard, California State Parks, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Truckee Police Department and the United States Forest Service.
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