TRUCKEE, California: The bodies of eight backcountry skiers caught in an avalanche were discovered near California's Lake Tahoe by crews who continued the search for one more.
Authorities said the skiers had little time to react to the avalanche, which was the nation's deadliest in nearly half a century.
"Someone saw the avalanche, yelled ‘Avalanche!' and it overtook them rather quickly," said Capt. Russell "Rusty" Greene, of the Nevada County sheriff's office.
Six people from the guided tour were rescued about six hours after the avalanche struck on the morning of February 17. The group was on a three-day skiing trip in Sierra Nevada in Northern California when a powerful winter storm hit the West Coast.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said officials will review why the trip went ahead despite a major storm forecast. At 6:49 a.m. that day, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche watch, warning that large avalanches were likely within 24 to 48 hours. A few hours later, the watch was upgraded to a warning, shortly before the avalanche occurred. It is not clear whether the guides were aware of the warning before heading out.
Authorities have now told families that the operation has changed from trying to rescue people to recovering bodies, Moon said at a news conference.
The victims, including three guides, were found close to each other, said Greene. The dead and missing include seven women and two men, aged between 30 and 55. Because of severe weather, crews have not yet been able to remove the bodies from the mountain.
Rescuers reached the six survivors just before sunset on February 17.
All the skiers carried beacons that send signals to rescuers. At least one guide was able to send text messages. It is unclear whether they were wearing avalanche airbags, which can help keep skiers near the snow surface.
While waiting for help, the survivors used their gear to build a shelter and protect themselves from freezing temperatures. During this time, they found three others who had died.
Rescuers used a snowcat to travel to within 2 miles of the survivors. From there, they carefully skied the rest of the way to avoid causing another avalanche.
One of the rescued people is still in the hospital. A guide was among those who survived.
The area near Donner Summit is one of the snowiest places in the Western Hemisphere. Until a few years ago, it was closed to the public. It receives nearly 35 feet (10 meters) of snow each year, according to the Truckee Donner Land Trust, which owns the huts where the group was staying near Frog Lake.
