Crews recover bodies of nine backcountry skiers killed in avalanche california A tragic operation in the Sierra Nevada that was hampered by heavy snowfall has ended, authorities said Saturday.
A search team recovered the bodies of eight victims and discovered another who had been missing and presumed dead since Tuesday’s avalanche in Green Mountain near Lake Tahoe. Nevada County Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Hack said the ninth missing person was found “relatively close” to the other victims but could not be seen due to white light conditions at the time.
At a news conference, Sheriff Shannon Moon praised the collective efforts of the numerous agencies that helped recover the bodies, from the California Highway Patrol and the National Guard to Pacific Gas and Electric Co., as well as the 42 volunteers who helped on the final day of the operation.
“We are fortunate in this mountain community that we are very close-knit and our community steps up when tragedy strikes,” Moon said.
victim name
The sheriff has for the first time released the names of the three Blackbird Mountain Company tour guides who died: 34-year-old Andrew Alissandratos, 42-year-old Nicole Choo and 30-year-old Michael Henry.
Alisandra Toss is originally from Tampa, Fla., and moved to Tahoe about a decade ago, according to a biography on the company’s website. He enjoys all kinds of adventure activities, from backcountry safaris to rock climbing.
Henry moved to Colorado in 2016 and then to Truckee three years later. He is described as “laid back” and dedicated to sharing his knowledge and love of the mountains with others.
There is no profile of Qiu on the website.
“This is a huge tragedy and the saddest event our team has ever experienced,” Blackbird Mountain founder Zeb Bryce said in a statement Wednesday.
“We are doing everything we can to support the families who have lost so many people, as well as the team members who have lost cherished friends and colleagues,” he said.
The six other fatal victims were women who were part of a close-knit group of friends, all experienced backcountry skiers who knew their way around the Sierra Nevada wilderness, their families said this week.
They were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, all in their 40s. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area, Idaho and the Lake Tahoe area.
“Words cannot describe our grief,” the family said in a statement. “Our focus now is on supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these remarkable women. They were mothers, wives and friends, all connected by their love of the outdoors.”
The families asked for privacy as they grieve, adding they have “many unanswered questions.”
Two of the friends survived Tuesday’s avalanche and were rescued along with four others, including a guide. Their names have not yet been released.
Trapped in the mountains for hours
The avalanche occurred on the last day of a three-day trip for 15 skiers, when the group decided to end the trip early to avoid an approaching snowstorm. Officials said the route they took was a “normal travel route,” but declined to specify what that meant.
Six survivors called for help at around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, describing a sudden and terrifying landslide about the length of a football field. According to Harker, they found the bodies of three fellow skiers afterwards.
Harker said rescuers found them about six hours after the initial distress call, taking two different routes to get there. They also found five other bodies, with only one missing.
But rescuers immediately realized it was too dangerous to extract the body at that time due to heavy snowfall and the threat of more avalanches. These conditions continue Wednesday and Thursday.
Friday’s breakthrough
Authorities used two California Highway Patrol helicopters with help from Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to clear the snow and intentionally release unstable snow to reduce avalanche risk.
That night, crews managed to rescue five victims before dark, but were unable to rescue the final three.
The next morning, rescuers braved strong winds and made multiple trips to lift the last four bodies from the mountain using helicopters and ropes. The body was then taken to a snowcat (a truck that can drive on snow) for further transportation.
“We are deeply sorry for the families affected by this avalanche,” Moon said.
Harker said initial reports indicated that at least two surviving skiers were not swept away by the avalanche. The others stood separately, relatively close to each other, and were all hit.
Harker declined to provide information about the possible triggering of the avalanche.
Authorities closed the area
Chris Feutrier, forest supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest, said the area will be closed to visitors until mid-March. Officials intend to restore public access once the investigation is complete.
“It’s the public’s land, and they like to rebuild on it,” Fetrier said. “The Forest Service will not close public lands for every hazard or every obstacle. We trust the American people to use their best judgment as they rebuild.”
