Nine skiers are currently unaccounted for after an avalanche struck the Sierra Nevada mountains in California on Tuesday, with authorities confirming that six other individuals who had been trapped in the snow have been successfully rescued.
The avalanche occurred in the Castle Peak area of Truckee, located approximately 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe, at around 11:30 a.m. Pacific time, as stated in a Facebook update from the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Those who were rescued have suffered from various injuries, with two individuals needing hospitalization. Furthermore, the sheriff's office adjusted the total number of people involved from an earlier count of 16 to 15, indicating that no further updates were anticipated on Tuesday evening.
Officials have cautioned that if all nine missing skiers are confirmed dead, this incident could be recorded as one of the most fatal avalanches in U.S. history. So far this season, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center has documented six fatalities caused by avalanches, noting that, on average, these incidents result in 27 deaths each winter over the last decade.
A winter storm warning was issued for a significant portion of northern California on Tuesday, predicting substantial snowfall in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Avalanche Center had previously warned of a 'high avalanche danger' in the region early in the morning, as confirmed by the sheriff’s statement.
Greene, a spokesperson, expressed that the choice made by a ski tour company to bring paying customers into the backcountry under such perilous circumstances was questionable, but acknowledged that all details surrounding the situation were not yet known, refusing to disclose the name of the ski company involved.
Rescue teams from Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center were deployed to assist. The survivors found temporary shelter, using tarpaulin sheets, and have been able to maintain communication with rescue teams via radio beacons and text messages.
Greene did not disclose how many ski guides were among the missing skiers. Meanwhile, hazardous weather conditions continued to prevail across the Sierra backcountry, with additional avalanche risks anticipated through Tuesday night and into Wednesday, as indicated in the sheriff’s statement.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been informed about the situation, and state officials are coordinating a comprehensive search-and-rescue operation with local emergency services, as confirmed by a post from his office on social media.
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