TRUCKEE, CA — Crews have recovered the bodies of nine skiers killed in an avalanche in California four days ago, authorities said on Saturday, concluding a harrowing operation hampered by heavy snowfall.
A search team recovered the bodies of eight victims and found another person missing and presumed dead since Tuesday’s avalanche on Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe. The missing ninth person was found “relatively close” to the other victims, but it was impossible to see them due to mysterious circumstances on Tuesday when the others were located.
Recovery efforts were halted for several days due to heavy snowfall and the threat of more avalanches.
California National Guard and California Highway Patrol helicopters recovered the bodies Saturday morning by hoisting them from the mountain and bringing them to nearby snow trucks — trucks equipped for transportation on ice.
Officials said Friday they were using water to break up snow in the area as an avalanche mitigation act, a technique designed to intentionally release unstable blocks of snow to reduce risks when rescue crews enter.
Mitigation and search efforts included California Highway Patrol air operations, Nevada County Sheriff’s search and rescue operations, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, and utility company Pacific Gas. Electricity, Sierra Avalanche Center and more.
Victims
Carrie Atkin – Truckee Tahoe area
Daniel Keightley – Marin County, California
Kate Morse – Marin County, California
Kit Fit – Marin County, California
Caroline Sicard – San Francisco, California
Liz Clabaugh – Boyes, ID
The remaining three victims were identified on Saturday. They were all professional guides.
Andrew Alessandratos – Nevada
Nicole Chu – South Lake Tahoe
Michael Henry– Tampa, Florida
KGO-TV/ABC7 Eyewitness News contributed to this report
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