Authorities on Wednesday confirmed that eight skiers who went missing following an avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains were found dead; one other remained missing.
The skiers, who were between 30 and 55 years of age, were confirmed dead as rescuers struggled to search due to weather conditions near Truckee, California, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference.
“Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing as well as our search for the remaining skier, but the weather is a factor,” Moon said.
Six people survived the avalanche, CNN reported.
Two other skiers were injured, one was in stable condition and released from a hospital, and another was still hospitalized, Moon said. Both were expected to survive.
The cause of death for the eight skiers has not been confirmed. Their names have not been released.
“We did have a conversation with the families with the folks that are still outstanding, and we let them know that our mission has went from a rescue to a recovery,” Moon said. “It’s a difficult conversation to have with loved ones, so I please ask for your patience with the family members. This is ongoing, and I can’t even imagine the amount of questions and stress that those families are going through right now as we move forward with this.”
The avalanche was about a mile away from the site of another avalanche in the Castle Peak area last month, Moon said.
Moon urged people to check weather conditions before traveling anywhere in the back area, asking people to communicate their plans, avoid any closed areas, travel with a partner, and consider avalanche training.
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