Avalanche victim is spouse of Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team member, sheriff says
Full video: Sheriff update on deadly Lake Tahoe avalanche
Eight people died, and one person is still missing Wednesday after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe, making this the most deadly avalanche in California history, according to the Nevada County Sheriff.
TRUCKEE, Calif. - The efforts to rescue a group of backcountry skiers caught in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe Tuesday struck especially close to home for a Placer County search and rescue team.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo confirmed that one of the deceased victims was married to a member of the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team.
"As you can understand, this [has] not only been challenging for our community — it's been a challenging rescue, but it's also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization," said Woo.
Though the victim's spouse is a volunteer with the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, the sheriff's department clarified that the spouse was not involved in the search following this week's avalanche.
Fatal Lake Tahoe avalanche: What we know about Blackbird Mountain Guides
A three-day backcountry trip led by Blackbird Mountain Guides turned deadly Tuesday when an avalanche struck near Lake Tahoe. Authorities confirmed Wednesday that eight people are dead and one remains missing following the slide.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the identities of the deceased.
"This incident has specifically struck our organization and that team, hard, as one of the nine missing decedents is a spouse of one of our Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team members," Woo said.
The rescue team is composed mostly of volunteers and was among the first to respond after the avalanche struck Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. near Castle Peak.
Woo said the team is among the "highest-rated, best, most well-trained, selfless servants." He added, "These are true heroes."
A high-stakes recovery
What's next:
The group of 15 was on the final day of a three-day guided trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides. They had departed from the Frog Lake huts on Sunday and were returning to the trailhead when the mountain gave way.
The survivors had almost no time to react.
"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 skiers, who were trapped under the snow for hours, were freed by volunteer rescuers around 5:30 p.m. despite some of the harshest weather conditions the region has seen this season. Before help arrived, the survivors had already located the bodies of three of their fellow skiers.
Six skiers rescued after avalanche near Tahoe, 10 still missing
Rescue crews located six stranded backcountry skiers during a severe storm near Castle Peak and are continuing the search for 10 others amid high avalanche danger.
Current status of the mission
What's next:
The deceased and the one person who remains missing include seven women and two men, ranging in age from 30 to 55.
While the six survivors are safe, the bodies of the deceased remain on the mountain. Search crews have been unable to remove them due to extreme recovery risks and lingering avalanche danger.
Fatal Lake Tahoe avalanche: What we know about Blackbird Mountain Guides
A three-day backcountry trip led by Blackbird Mountain Guides turned deadly Tuesday when an avalanche struck near Lake Tahoe. Authorities confirmed Wednesday that eight people are dead and one remains missing following the slide.
Sheriff Woo stated that even with the personal tragedy within the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team, the unit remains focused.
"Everybody has circled around to provide their love and condolences for this family," Woo said. "But I think it’s also motivated the team of their purpose; to go out there and rescue those who were still alive, and now recover those decedents who are still out there."
Editor's note: This story previously stated that a Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team member discovered their spouse as one of the victims in the deadly Lake Tahoe avalanche. One of the victims is married to a rescuer, though the Placer County Sheriff's Office later clarified the victim's spouse was not involved in the Castle Peak search.
The Source: Nevada County Sheriff, Placer County Sheriff, Cal OES, Sierra Avalanche Center, the Associated Press.