Eight skiers missing in California avalanche found dead

LOS ANGELES: Eight of the nine skiers missing in California after an avalanche have been found dead and one remains missing in horrific blizzard conditions, police said Wednesday.

Rescuers have been desperately searching for the group, which was caught in the avalanche early Tuesday on Castle Peak in the Tahoe area. Earlier, six skiers were found alive, two of them being taken to hospital.

“We are still looking for one of the members at this time,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said, cautioning that the storm is hampering any movement.

“Extreme weather conditions I would say is an understatement: lots of snow, gale-force winds, winds making it impossible to see,” Moon said.

Sugar Bowl Academy said multiple victims were linked to the private, ski-focused school, without identifying the people.

“We are an incredibly close and connected community. This tragedy has affected each and every one of us,” Stephen McMahon, the school’s executive director, said in a statement.

“The best thing we can do is surround our athletes and families with care and support while providing the necessary space and time for grief and healing.”

Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company leading the doomed backcountry trip, said the 11 clients and four guides had been staying at the Frog Lake huts since Sunday and were “in the process of returning” back to base.

Over 40 first responders launched the search, according to officials, including “highly skilled rescue ski teams” from both Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center.

But after quickly finding the six known survivors, the teams came up empty handed.

Experts had warned of severe avalanche risk.

And Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo pleaded with the public 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.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the operation.

More snow coming

A powerful storm packing several feet of snow has continued to pummel the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Sugar Bowl Resort, in the immediate area, is reporting 67 inches (1.7 meters) of snowfall there in the past week, including 30 inches from Tuesday to mid-day Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said parts of the Sierra Nevadas above 3,500 feet could see up to eight feet of snow, with wind gusts as strong as 55 miles (90 kilometers) an hour.

Sheriff’s office Captain Russell Green also told local station KCRA that backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous.

“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.”

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has tallied six US avalanche fatalities so far this season, including one in Castle Peak in January.