California avalanche kills 8 skiers

Overseas Chinese News An avalanche in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains has killed eight skiers and left one missing, officials said on Wednesday (February 18), making the incident one of the deadliest single avalanches in U.S. history.

According to Reuters, rescuers found six survivors late Tuesday night, including one man and five women. At that time, a severe winter storm was sweeping through the high altitude areas, where several feet of new snow had fallen in recent days.

An avalanche swept through the Castle Peak area of ​​Truckee, California, about 10 miles north of Lake Tahoe at about 11:30 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, burying a backcountry ski team.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon that one of the rescued skiers was still being treated at the hospital and his injuries were not life-threatening.

The survivors had taken refuge in a makeshift shelter, partly made of tarpaulin, and were in contact with rescuers via radio beacons and text messages.

Moon said about 50 professional rescuers were dispatched from the north and south, operating in “extreme” conditions, including heavy snowfall and strong winds. The rescue team first used tracked snowmobiles to reach about two miles from the survivors, and then skied to the accident site.

Authorities said one of the victims was the spouse of a local search and rescue team member.

The ski team was concluding a three-day trip organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. The team, which included four guides and 11 clients, stayed at the “Frog Lake Backcountry Huts” at an altitude of about 7,500 feet (about 2,300 meters) northwest of Truckee near Donner Summit.

The region can receive more than 400 inches of snowfall in an average winter, making it one of the snowiest regions in the Western Hemisphere.

According to the company’s website, Blackbird was established in 2020 and has operations in California, Washington State (Washington), British Columbia, Canada, and multiple overseas ski resorts, providing ski guides, alpine climbing and avalanche safety training.

The avalanche warning issued Tuesday by the Sierra Avalanche Center remained in effect Wednesday morning, saying “high avalanche risk may continue throughout the day.”

Data from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center shows that an average of 27 people have died in avalanches each winter in the United States over the past decade, and six deaths have been recorded this season.

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