Eight skiers missing in California avalanche found dead
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
A rescue team leaving for the site of an avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada mountains on Feb 17.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES - Eight of the nine skiers missing in California after an avalanche have been found dead and one remains missing in horrific blizzard conditions, police said on Feb 18.
Rescuers have been desperately searching for the group which was caught in the avalanche early Feb 17 on Castle Peak in the Tahoe area.
Earlier, six skiers were found alive, two of them being taken to hospital.
“We are still looking for one of the members at this time,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said, cautioning that the storm is hampering any movement.
“Extreme weather conditions I would say is an understatement: lots of snow, gale-force winds, winds making it impossible to see,” Sheriff Moon said.
Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the doomed backcountry trip, said the 11 clients and four guides had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Feb 15 and were “in the process of returning” back to base.
Over 40 first responders launched the search, according to officials, including “highly skilled rescue ski teams” from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center.
But after quickly finding the six known survivors, the teams came up empty handed.
Experts had warned of severe avalanche risk.
And Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo pleaded with the public to stay away until the weather clears.
“Please avoid the Sierras during this current storm and in the upcoming days, avoid mountain travel. It’s treacherous.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the operation.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon updating the media on the search effort in Nevada City, California, on Feb 18.
PHOTO: REUTERS
More snow coming
A powerful storm packing several feet of snow continued to pummel the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
Sugar Bowl Resort, in the immediate area, is reporting 1.7m of snow fell there in the past week, including 76cm from Feb 17 to mid-day on Feb 18.
The National Weather Service said parts of the Sierra Nevadas above 1,000m could see up to 2.4m of snow, with wind gusts as strong as 90kmh.
Captain Russell Green, of the Sheriff’s office, also told local station KCRA that backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous.
“People go out and use the backcountry at all times,” Capt Green said. “We advise against it, obviously, but I wouldn’t say that it’s uncommon. Not that it was a wise choice.”
The Colorado Avalanche Information Centre has tallied six US avalanche fatalities so far this season, including one in Castle Peak in January. AFP
