Truckee, United States. Eight backcountry skiers were confirmed killed and a ninth was presumed to have died after their group was overtaken by a football-field-sized avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, authorities said. Six survivors were rescued in the Castle Peak area near Truckee.
Avalanche hits guided tour group
Authorities said the group of 15 skiers, including four guides from outfitter Blackbird Mountain Guides, was heading back to a trailhead in heavy snow after a three-day excursion when the avalanche struck at about 11:30 a.m. PT on Tuesday.
Survivors located using emergency signaling
The surviving skiers took refuge in a makeshift shelter constructed partly from tarpaulin sheets and used emergency beacons and text messaging to communicate their location to rescuers. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said one of the guides was among the survivors.
Rescue operation in hazardous conditions
Two rescue teams totaling about 50 people were dispatched from the Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and the Tahoe Donner resort’s Alder Creek Adventure Center, approaching the avalanche zone from the south and north.
Authorities said rescuers faced blinding snow, darkness, treacherous terrain and gale-force winds, with the risk of further avalanches remaining high after a winter storm dropped several feet of fresh, unstable snow in recent days. Responders reached within two miles of the site by snowcat, then switched to skis to reduce the risk of triggering another slide.
Moon described the conditions as extreme, and an adjacent stretch of U.S. Interstate 80 was closed during the rescue operation due to zero visibility from the storm.
Casualties and recovery plans
Authorities said bodies of eight skiers were located but will be recovered when weather permits. A ninth skier remained missing and was presumed dead.
One of the deceased skiers was the spouse of a search-and-rescue team member, authorities said. An injured skier was being treated in a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
What steps should backcountry skiers take to reduce risk during heavy snowfall and unstable conditions?