This is a developing story…
Nevada County Sheriff, Shannan Moon, announced at a news conference on Wednesday that the bodies of 8 skiers have been recovered. All were found deceased after a massive avalanche struck the Castle Peak area near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday.
One skier remains missing. Six were rescued Tuesday afternoon. None of the victims have been publicly identified.
The bodies of 7 female and two male skiers remain on the mountain at the time of this post.
The group of 15 skiers was in a backcountry area near the infamous Donner Summit heading back to a trailhead when the avalanche struck just before noon on Tuesday.
Among the six survivors – one man and five women ranging in age from 30 to 55 – two required hospitalization with non-life-threatening injuries. One has since been released while the other remains under treatment.
First responders were alerted by emergency beacons carried by the group, and were able to communicate with some of them.
But rescue teams faced extreme conditions trying to reach the remote site, battling treacherous conditions.
Some areas in the Sierra have seen 30 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, shutting down some highways and ski resorts in the area altogether.
Blackbird Mountain Guides, in a statement, said a dozen clients and several guides had been staying at huts near Frog Lake in Castle Peak since Feb. 15.
“The group was in the process of returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day trip when the incident occurred,” the company said.
Castle Peak is located north of Donner Summit, a peak named for a party of pioneers that famously turned to cannibalism when they were trapped there over winter in 1846 and 1847.
Stay tuned to KMJ for updates on this tragic story.
