Crews successfully retrieved the remains of nine backcountry skiers who lost their lives in a recent avalanche in California, authorities revealed on Saturday. The challenging operation, marked by heavy snowfall, concluded as a search team reached the bodies of eight victims. Additionally, they located a previously missing individual who was presumed deceased following the avalanche that occurred on Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday.
The ninth missing person was discovered in close proximity to the other victims, although visibility was severely limited due to white-out conditions prevailing during the initial recovery efforts. The operation had been temporarily suspended due to adverse weather conditions and the heightened risk of further avalanches.
Utilizing helicopters from the California National Guard and California Highway Patrol, the bodies were airlifted from the mountain and transported to nearby snowcat vehicles specially equipped for snow travel on Saturday morning. In preparation for the recovery mission, authorities had employed water to destabilize the snowpack in the area, a method known as avalanche mitigation, aimed at reducing risks for rescue teams.
The extensive operation involved multiple organizations such as California Highway Patrol air operations, Nevada County Sheriff’s search and rescue, Tahoe Nordic search and rescue, Pacific Gas & Electric, the Sierra Avalanche Center, among others.