Authorities say eight people are dead and one person remains missing after a backcountry avalanche in California.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said authorities received a 911 call about the avalanche in the Castle Peak area of the Tahoe National Forest around 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Moon provided an update at a press conference on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
The avalanche struck near the end of a three-day backcountry skiing trip near Lake Tahoe. A group consisting of 11 clients and four guides was caught in the slide, according to Blackbird Mountain Guides.
Nine members of the group were initially reported missing, while six people survived, Moon said. Eight victims have been recovered, and crews are still searching for a ninth person who is presumed dead.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said one of those killed was the spouse of a search-and-rescue team member deployed to the scene.
Moon said six people were rescued — two men and four women ranging in age from 30 to 55. One of the rescued individuals was a guide, while the other five were clients on the tour.
Authorities said two of the survivors were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. One has been released, while the other remains hospitalized.
Moon described the avalanche site as a remote, rugged area and said current conditions on the mountain are making recovery efforts difficult. Officials have also said some survivors took shelter under trees near the site of the avalanche.
Moon said survivors found three people dead before help arrived. She added that rescuers received early information through the iPhone SOS feature while making their way to the group.
An avalanche warning was in effect from 5 a.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, and officials cautioned that the risk could continue in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range throughout the week.
The National Weather Service warned that rapidly accumulating snowfall, weak layers in the existing snowpack, and strong winds drifting snow had created dangerous avalanche conditions. It said natural avalanches were likely and that human-triggered avalanches large enough to bury or injure people were very likely.
