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Two days after nine skiers went missing in an avalanche on Castle Peak in the Tahoe area of California, eight of them have been found dead.Â
Officials said a group of 15 people were caught up in the avalanche. Following the blizzard, a group of over 40 first responders, including highly skilled rescue ski teams from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Centre, went in search of the missing group.
According to the company leading the trip, Blackbird Mountain Guides, the group of 11 clients and four guides had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday and were returning to base before they went missing on Tuesday.
Six skiers were, however, found alive earlier and two of them were taken to the hospital.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told AFP that one skier remains missing in horrific blizzard conditions, and that efforts are underway to locate the last missing skier, adding that the storm is hindering rescue efforts.
“Extreme weather conditions, I would say, is an understatement: lots of snow, gale-force winds, winds making it impossible to see,” said Moon.
Weather experts had warned of severe avalanche risk, and authorities had cautioned against skiing amid the extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo urged residents 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,” said Woo.
Sheriff’s office Captain Russell Green had also warned against backcountry skiing, describing it as an inherently dangerous sport.
“People go out and use the backcountry at all times,” Green said. “We advise against it, obviously, but I wouldn’t say that it’s uncommon. Not that it was a wise choice,” Green warned.
This avalanche fatality is the sixth this season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Centre.
The National Weather Service forecasts that parts of the Sierra Nevada mountain range may see up to eight feet of snow, with wind gusts as strong as 55 miles (90 kilometres) an hour.
