Black balance after an avalanche in California. The skiers had gone up the mountain in blizzard weather
Heavy snow in California Photo: Brooke Hess-Homeier / AP / Profimedia
Eight of the nine skiers reported missing in an avalanche in California have been found dead, the last one is still being sought, the local authorities announced on Wednesday, notes AFP, taken over by Agerpres.
Six skiers from the group of 15 had been rescued the day before during a snowstorm. But despite rescue efforts in extremely difficult conditions, eight of the other nine skiers were found dead, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon explained in a press conference. “We are still looking for one of the group members,” the last one missing, she added.
The tragedy occurred Tuesday morning near Castle Peak, a peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains located in the Lake Tahoe region, one of California's top destinations for mountain enthusiasts. This was one of the deadliest avalanches in the United States in decades and raises many questions about the presence of this group of skiers in the area.
The group of 11 skiers was accompanied by four professional guides. Together, they set off on a three-day ski touring expedition on Sunday, far from any ski resort. And this despite a storm forecast for days in California, which caused the closure of several ski areas and a highway in the Lake Tahoe region.
Warnings ignored by the expedition organizers
VIDEO. The moment an avalanche swallows a skier on a mountain in America
The weather service had issued warnings, emphasizing the high risk of avalanches in the area on Tuesday and Wednesday. The company that organized the expedition, Blackbird Mountain Guides, has not yet explained why it approved the exit.
According to her, the group was returning from the trip when it was caught by the avalanche on Tuesday morning. “Our thoughts are with the missing, their families and the emergency response teams,” Blackbird Mountain Guides, which charges more than $1,000 per person for the three-day trip, said in a statement.
Of the six survivors, two were hospitalized. Approximately 50 rescuers were deployed on the field. When they finally reached the group Tuesday night, the weather conditions were extreme, Sheriff Moon pointed out.
To talk about “extreme weather conditions is an understatement”, she insisted, pointing out that there was “a lot of snow and strong winds” that made it very difficult for rescuers to access.
“Please avoid the Sierra (mountains) during the current storm and in the coming days avoid going to the mountain,” pleaded Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo, whose forces were also involved in the rescue operation. “The conditions there are very dangerous,” he added.
