Rescuers are looking, amid extreme weather, for 10 skiers caught in a Sierra avalanche
Dozens of rescuers were searching for missing backcountry skiers Tuesday afternoon after a massacre in the Sierra Nevada northwest of Lake Tahoe. Ten skiers were still missing as of 4:30 p.m., officials said.
The search continued even as the weather worsened during a multi-day storm in the region.
The Nevada State Sheriff’s Office reported that a group of 16 skiers encountered an avalanche at Castle Peak in Truckee around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.
At least six skiers survived the massacre and remained at the avalanche site on Tuesday afternoon awaiting rescue. The search for the remaining ten was still ongoing.
The group consisted of four ski guides and 12 customers.
Advanced snow rescue teams have left Boreal Mountain Ski Resort and Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center to target six known survivors, according to sheriff’s officials.
As of 4 p.m., 46 emergency responders were dispatched, the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The weather remained dangerous.
Nine-thousand-foot Castle Peak, along with the surrounding hills, is a popular winter sports destination for backcountry skiers and snowboarders.
But since the slopes are not as guarded as those at commercial ski areas, and there is no organized avalanche control, the risk is much higher than at a resort – especially during, or immediately after, a major storm.
According to the Sierra Avalanche Centerbased in Truckee, an avalanche warning was issued at 6:29 am. It will remain in effect until Wednesday morning as the multi-day storm continues to affect the region.
“Walking in, near, or under the avalanche zone is not recommended today,” the agency wrote. “A widespread natural avalanche cycle is expected in the next 24 hours. Large tornadoes may pass through tree-lined areas. If you are attempting to travel today in non-avalanche areas, make sure there are no ridges connected to the area you are traveling, either up or to the side.”
Snow levels were expected to increase 2 to 3 inches per hour Tuesday afternoon, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center, amid rescue efforts.
Interstate 80 closed near the Nevada state line early Tuesday due to snow, according to Caltrans.
Avalanche rescue can be a challenge, as the loose and soft snow quickly consolidates and hardens like concrete, making it difficult for those buried underneath to get oxygen.
This has been a dangerous avalanche season for snowmobilers in the high Sierra.
In early January, 42-year-old snowboarder Chris Scott Thomason was buried under snow in another avalanche near Castle Peak. Despite having all the latest safety gear and being in a group of other experienced riders, as well as the help of an off-duty Truckee fire department, who performed CPR, Thomasson did not survive.
In December, another snowmobiler was seriously injured in an avalanche Latopie Lake in Mono Countyand was airlifted to Reno by emergency services.
