Ten skiers missing after avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California

Up to 10 skiers were reported missing and six others were stranded Tuesday after an avalanche struck near the town of Truckee, California, authorities said.

The slide occurred near Castle Peak, a popular backcountry skiing area northwest of Lake Tahoe, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. Four mountain guides and 12 skiers were involved in the incident, News.Az reports, citing NBC News.

At least six people survived and remained at the site awaiting rescue as crews navigated dangerous conditions. Ten others were still unaccounted for, officials said.

“This is a fluid situation, so it may change,” said Sheriff’s Office Captain Russell Greene. “We’re in the process of contacting the family members of the individuals that were out there.”

Greene said the avalanche was reported around 11:30 a.m. by a mountain guide service and separately through an emergency beacon device. About 46 rescuers were heading to the area Tuesday evening but had not reached the site as of 5 p.m. local time.

Blackbird Mountain Guides confirmed that 12 of its clients and four guides were caught in the avalanche while returning to the trailhead at the end of a three-day trip. The group had been staying at Frog Lake Backcountry Huts since Sunday. The company said it is working with the sheriff’s office and local search-and-rescue teams to support the operation.

Authorities maintained contact with the survivors through an emergency satellite messaging service, allowing them to send text updates. Greene described the terrain as difficult and warned of the risk of triggering additional avalanches, saying crews were hesitant to deploy snowmobiles.

Some survivors reportedly took shelter in a wooded area and were using a tarp to shield themselves from the elements until rescuers could reach them.

Severe weather complicated rescue efforts. Truckee, a town of about 17,000 residents near Lake Tahoe and California’s eastern border with Nevada, was experiencing blizzard conditions. Boreal Mountain Ski Resort reported roughly 30 inches of snow in the previous 24 hours.

The National Weather Service said snowfall rates in parts of the Sierra Nevada reached 3 to 4 inches per hour, warning of hazardous travel conditions, poor visibility and possible whiteouts. Interstate 80 was closed due to near-zero visibility, further hindering rescue operations.

An avalanche warning had been issued earlier Tuesday for the Tahoe region due to heavy snowfall. The Sierra Avalanche Center warned of high avalanche danger, stating that natural and human-triggered slides were likely and could be large enough to bury or injure people.

Forecasters said storm slab avalanches were a particular concern, as heavy new snow had accumulated on top of a weak underlying layer formed during a recent dry spell.

Backcountry skiers typically carry safety equipment such as avalanche beacons, shovels and probes to assist in rescue efforts. Beacons transmit and receive signals to help locate buried victims, while probes are used to pinpoint their location beneath the snow.

Avalanche victims face risks including physical injuries and suffocation, particularly if buried for more than 15 to 20 minutes.

According to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the United States has averaged 27 avalanche-related deaths per year over the past decade.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev