Crews hope to resume recovery of 8 bodies from California avalanche after days of dangerous weather
SODA SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — Crews hope to resume efforts Friday to recover the bodies of eight people killed in an avalanche and one still missing in California’s Sierra Nevada following days of hazardous weather conditions that prevented safe access to the area.
Six of the dead people were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the mountain wilderness, their families said Thursday. The other three people who died or were thought to be dead were guides.
In a statement made through a spokesperson, the families said, “We are too devastated to talk about.” The women are mothers, wives and friends “connected by a love of the outdoors,” they said, and they carry avalanche safety equipment and are prepared to travel to the backcountry.
The six people were identified as Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, Idaho and the Lake Tahoe area. Families have asked for privacy as they mourn.
The names of the other victims were not released.
Two members of the group of friends survived and were rescued along with four others, including a guide.
Avalanche warnings Drier and milder weather conditions are forecast for the weekend, ending early Friday, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
Slide Deadliest incident in the US since 1981When 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington state.
15 skiers started their three-day trip on Sunday. storm warnings was intensifying. Early Tuesday, authorities warned that an avalanche was expected.
What guides and tour companies knew about the warnings and why they insisted are now part of investigations by local authorities and a government agency that regulates workplace safety.
Avalanche safety experts say it’s not uncommon for backcountry skiers to head out when there’s an avalanche watch or even a warning.
Blackbird Mountain GuidesHe said the guides leading the expedition and participating in the hike were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and included instructors from the American Avalanche Research and Training Institute. Founder Zeb Blais said in a statement that while guides were in the field, they “kept in contact with senior guides at our base to discuss the conditions and the route based on the conditions.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom said some of his wife’s “old family friends” were also on the trip. The Newsoms have a home in Marin County where some of the trip participants live. His office did not immediately provide further details.
“These were some experienced guides who were there, and that’s what’s even more concerning and disturbing,” he said at a news conference on Thursday.
Their brother, McAlister Clabaugh, told The New York Times that Sekar and Clabaugh were brothers. Sekar was a mother of two living in San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh attended St. Louis in Boise, Idaho, according to her LinkedIn page. He worked at Luke’s Health System.
Vitt was based in San Francisco and previously worked at SiriusXM and Pandora, according to his LinkedIn page. The Kentfield School District sent an email to families on Wednesday saying their two sons “are safe and are with their father, Geoff, as they recover from this profound loss,” according to The New York Times.
Atkin lived with her husband and two children and was a former corporate executive and Division I Track and Field athlete, according to her leadership coaching website.
Some members of the group had ties to the elite Sugar Bowl Academy, a private boarding and day school for competitive skiers and snowboarders whose former students are multiple Olympians.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said one of the victims was married to a member of the area’s rural search and rescue team.
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Watson reported from San Diego and Golden from Seattle. Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana; RJ Rico in Atlanta; and Christopher Weber from Los Angeles contributed.
