One of the eight victims who died in the tragic avalanche near Lake Tahoe has been identified as a mother from the Bay area.
According to the reports of the New York Post, the Mayor of Mill Valley, a city which is about 14 miles north of San Francisco has confirmed that the woman was one among eight people who were killed in a tragic avalanche in California. The mayor did not reveal the name or any other details of the victim.
“Our heart in Mill Valley goes out to the families that have been impacted,” Mayor Max Perrey said. “It’s a huge tragedy and a huge loss.”
Neighbors described the victim as someone full of life. Speaking to NBC Bay Area, a neighbor named Kim shared her grief.
“It’s devastating, I mean it’s ski week, she’s got two adorable little kids and we watch them just for the past couple of years walking back and forth from school,” Kim said. “She has so much verve and zest for life and she was just a lovely neighbor.
“It’s just so scary, like you never think this is going to happen,” Kim added.
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Details about the Lake Tahoe avalanche
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.
The group was made up of 15 backcountry skiers guided by Blackbird Mountain Guides. They were skiing on Castle Peak, about 40 miles from Mount Rose on late Tuesday morning when the avalanche hit during a powerful snowstorm.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said emergency crews received a distress call around 11:30 AM reporting that several skiers had been buried in deep snow. Nearly 50 rescuers responded to the scene. After hours of searching, six people were found alive. Two were taken to the hospital with injuries. Officials said one was released Tuesday night and the other was expected to be released Wednesday.
The group had been completing a three-day guided ski trip near Castle Peak, close to Donner Summit, when a large avalanche swept across the slope. The slide stretched about the length of a football field.