TRUCKEE, Calif. — The bodies of all nine skiers caught in a massive avalanche near Lake Tahoe have been recovered, authorities confirmed Saturday, bringing an end to a five-day search hampered by dangerous conditions and relentless winter storms. The recovery effort, involving the California National Guard and the California Highway Patrol, concluded with the discovery of the final victim near Castle Peak, a notoriously challenging backcountry area.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon described the operation as “agonizing,” adding, “While we wish we could have saved them all, we are grateful that One can bring them home.” The avalanche, which struck Tuesday, is among the deadliest in California history.
The victims have been identified as three guides and six skiers participating in a three-day backcountry trip organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides, based in Truckee. The guides were Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada. Michael Henry, 30, of Soda Springs, California; and Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, California. The skiers were Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs; Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, California; Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, California; Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco; and Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, California.
Recovery efforts were significantly complicated by continued avalanche risk. On Friday, Pacific Gas & Electric assisted officials in reducing the hazard, allowing crews to recover five bodies. The remaining four were recovered Saturday, utilizing helicopters from the California National Guard and the California Highway Patrol to hoist the bodies from the steep terrain, as reported by NPR.
Authorities had classified the avalanche as falling between a D2 and D3 on the Sierra Avalanche Center’s danger scale. Sheriff Moon explained that a D2 avalanche could capture down an individual, while a D3 could destroy a house, describing the slide as spanning the length of a football field.
Six members of the original group of fifteen skiers survived the avalanche. The Castle Peak area will remain closed to visitors for several weeks as authorities continue their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the disaster. The Placer County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Unit in Roseville will conduct full autopsies on all nine victims to determine the precise causes of death, according to the Marin Independent Journal.
The investigation will likely focus on the conditions leading up to the avalanche, the decisions made by the guides, and the adequacy of avalanche safety protocols. No timeline has been established for the release of the investigation’s findings.
