9 Missing After Avalanche Near Lake Tahoe in California

Nine skiers are missing for after an avalanche struck near the town of Truckee, California. So far, six people have been rescued.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that the slide occurred at Castle Peak, a well-known backcountry skiing area close to Lake Tahoe.

Officials explained that the six survivors were reached by rescue crews who worked for hours in dangerous conditions to get to them.

Two of those rescued were taken to hospital for treatment.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the search effort is still underway; however, progress will depend on the weather conditions.

Early reports suggested that 16 people had been caught in the avalanche, but authorities later clarified that the group actually included 15 skiers.

Captain Russell Greene said in an interview that the avalanche happened around 11:30 a.m. He said the incident was also reported separately through an emergency beacon device.

Blackbird Mountain Guides, a company that runs guided backcountry tours, confirmed that the group involved included both guides and clients.

They were allegedly heading back to the trailhead after a three-day trip when the avalanche hit.

The group of 15 had been staying at the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts since Sunday.

Blackbird Mountain Guides said they are working with local authorities and a Nevada County search and rescue team to help with the ongoing operation.

The sheriff’s office has also been communicating with the survivors through an emergency satellite messaging system, which allows rescuers to exchange text messages.

Captain Greene said that the avalanche occurred in a difficult and unstable area and that because of that, crews have to tread carefully to avoid setting off additional slides.

Truckee, a town of roughly 17,000 people, has been dealing with blizzard-like weather, which has hampered the search efforts.

Boreal Mountain Ski Resort reported about 30 inches of snow in the past 24 hours.

In areas close to where the slide happened, snow was coming down at a rate of three to four inches per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

With all the heavy snow, an avalanche warning was put in place for the area on Tuesday.

In a bulletin posted Tuesday, the Sierra Avalanche Center said the backcountry was facing a high avalanche risk; slides were expected through Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning.

Forecasters also said avalanches could reach up to D3 in size, which is big enough to bury a house or a car.