"Crews have now recovered the bodies of all nine backcountry skiers who were killed in an avalanche in Northern California earlier this week. It marks an end to what authorities on Saturday described as an agonizing five-day search and recovery operation complicated by intense winter storms northwest of Lake Tahoe. "While we wish we could have saved them all, we are grateful that we can bring them home," said Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon during a Saturday news conference."
"Authorities said avalanche hazards and weather conditions were too dangerous most of the week to search for the remaining victim or recover the bodies. Four of the bodies were recovered on Friday, and the rest of the bodies were recovered on Saturday, all in the Castle Peak area where the avalanche one of the deadliest in California history struck. Six people from the group of 15 skiers survived Tuesday's disaster, the last day of a three-day backcountry ski trip."
Crews recovered the bodies of all nine skiers killed in an avalanche near Castle Peak northwest of Lake Tahoe after a five-day search hampered by intense winter storms and hazardous avalanche conditions. Officials delayed recovery operations for days due to unsafe weather and avalanche risk until specialists and Pacific Gas & Electric reduced the hazard. Helicopters from the California National Guard and California Highway Patrol hoisted recovered bodies from the mountain. Six of the 15 skiers survived the incident. The trip was organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon confirmed the victims and named three guides among the dead.
Read at www.npr.org
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