[Update] The skiers were returning from a three-day trek in the Sierra Nevada when the California avalanche occurred. After the six survivors were rescued and returned to safety, eight of the missing were found dead. The one skier who is still missing is also presumed to be dead, according Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon in a press conference. The search efforts have changed from rescue to recovery.
[Update] Officials with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office announced the six backcountry skiers who survived the California avalanche have been rescued.
Due to the extreme weather conditions it took several hours for search and rescue teams to reach the survivors and transport them safely. The six survivors suffered varying injuries and authorities say two of the skiers were transported to the hospital for treatment.
The total number of people involved in the trip has been revised from 16 to 15, according to officials. The search for the remaining nine skiers is ongoing pending weather conditions.
A press conference has been scheduled for 11 a.m. on Wednesday to provide updates on the search-and-rescue efforts.
A California avalanche in the Lake Tahoe region has left 10 skiers missing and six more people stranded awaiting rescue, according to authorities.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, the massive snowslide occurred around 11:30 PST in the Castle Peak area near the town of Truckee.
The group of 16 included four guides and 12 clients. The sheriff states, “Highly-skilled rescue ski teams have deployed from two nearby ski resorts. The six known survivors have been directed to shelter in place as best they can in the conditions.”
California Avalanche Conditions Amid Search
The sheriff’s office posted on social media: “At least six of the skiers have survived the avalanche and remain at the site, awaiting rescue, with the remaining ten unaccounted for at the time of this release. A SnoCat team was also launched. Rescue efforts remain in progress now with 46 emergency first responders. Weather conditions remain highly dangerous. Large avalanches are expected to occur Tuesday, Tuesday night, and into at least early Wednesday morning across backcountry terrain.”
Captain Russell Greene, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said search efforts will be a “slow, tedious process” due to weather conditions with the threat of more massive snowslides posing a danger to rescuers. Around 17:15 PST, Greene said first responders were still attempting to reach the zone and known survivors were sheltering under tarpaulin sheets “doing the best they can to survive.”
In a social media post, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced state authorities were “coordinating an all-hands search-and-rescue effort with local emergency teams.”
According to Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, located near the site of the massive snowslide, 30 inches of snow has fallen in the last 24 hours. The storm has closed several highways, including Highway 50 and Interstate 80.
Written by Jeanette Vietti
Source:
BBC: Rescuers search for 10 missing skiers after California avalanche
Featured Image Courtesy of lwona_kellle’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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