Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and one remains unaccounted for after they were swept away by an avalanche in California.
A group of 15 was on a three-day trek organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides into the wilderness at Frog Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains, near Lake Tahoe.
The group was trapped by an avalanche on Tuesday, leaving six skiers sheltering in place for hours as crews battled blizzard conditions.
Authorities have since recovered eight bodies from the mountain. The victims identities are being withheld pending family notifications and their cause of deaths cannot be confirmed at this time.
The group of six survivors, including one guide and five clients on the trip, were found close together. The remains of the deceased were also found close together.
At the time of Tuesday’s rescue, three people were already found deceased.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference that authorities have told the families the mission has moved from rescue to recovery.
Tuesday’s deadly avalanche took place just one mile away from an avalanche that occurred in January.
Members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday
The avalanche hit about 11.30am PST on Tuesday near Perry Peak in the Castle Peak area of Truckee.
Crews have faced treacherous conditions in their search for the missing skiers since the avalanche struck.
Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada after a 911 call reporting the avalanche had buried 15 skiers.
Six of them have been found alive. Of the survivors, one is a man, and five are women, ages 30 to 55, according to Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon.
The group was on a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada as a monster winter storm pummeled the West Coast.
Two of those rescued after several hours of searching were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Officials said heavy snow and the threat of additional avalanches slowed the rescue effort in the mountains near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
