The bodies of eight skiers were found dead after a powerful avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California on Tuesday. One person remains missing, authorities said during a Wednesday press conference.
Survivors used iphone to get help
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, a group member shouted “avalanche!” before the snow came down quickly and overwhelmed them.
Six other skiers survived by building a temporary shelter with a tarp near the area where the victims were later found.
Shannan Moon said it took time for rescue teams to bring their equipment to the area and reach the remote backcountry location. Officials used the iPhone SOS feature to stay in contact with the six survivors while crews made their way to them. Avalanche beacon devices were also used to help communicate and locate those trapped.
The survivors had safety gear with them. Some were dealing with medical problems, while others had already started searching for their teammates and clients.
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What we know so far
The group included 15 backcountry skiers led by Blackbird Mountain Guides. They were skiing on Castle Peak, about 40 miles from Mount Rose on late Tuesday morning when the avalanche struck during a major snowstorm.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, emergency crews received a distress call around 11:30 AM reporting that several skiers had been buried under deep snow. Nearly 50 rescuers were sent to the scene. After hours of searching, six members of the group were found alive. Two of them were taken to the hospital with injuries. Officials said one was released Tuesday night, and the other was expected to be released on Wednesday.
The skiers were finishing a three-day guided trip near Castle Peak, close to Donner Summit when a massive avalanche swept across the slope, stretching about the length of a football field.
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The tour was led by Blackbird Mountain Guides which said it is cooperating with investigators and had earlier warned about unstable snow during a strong winter storm in the Sierra Nevada. Experts said a weak layer buried deep in the snowpack gave way after heavy fresh snowfall and the avalanche danger at the time was rated 4 out of 5 meaning slides were very much expected.