Two sisters named as victims of Lake Tahoe avalanche that buried eight moms alive

The two sisters were identified as victims of the avalanche that buried eight mothers alive in California.

Caroline Sekar, 45, of San Francisco, and Liz Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho, were among a group of 11 skiers climbing Castle Peak near Lake Tahoe on Tuesday morning when they were caught in the flash avalanche. he told the New York Times.

‘They were incredible sisters, mothers, wives and friends,’ she said. ‘And the idea that they’re both gone is, I don’t even know how to put it into words.’

McAlister later explained that many in the ski group had been friends since attending Stanford University and would meet up regularly for ski trips over the years.

‘Most of the people on that trip were friends of Caroline’s who had done it together,’ he said. ‘There are a lot of people, many of whom lost their lives.’

News of the sisters’ deaths came just hours after the Daily Mail exclusively reported that Kate Vitt, a 43-year-old Boston College graduate and SiriusXM executive and mother of two, was also killed in the rockslide.

It was unclear Wednesday whether multiple victims were affiliated with Sugar Bowl Academy, a private, ski-focused school that said it had ties to the community in Norden, California, just a few miles from where the avalanche occurred.

A close source said the Sugar Bowl families took an annual trip together to the ski slopes organized by the parents and not affiliated with the school. San Francisco Chronicle. In this example, it is believed that the fathers skied together on one trip while their wives went on another trip.

His sister Liz Clabaugh also died in the avalanche

Fifteen skiers, led by Blackbird Mountain Guides, were at Castle Peak late Tuesday morning when they were hit by a massive storm that dropped a slide and heavy snow.

A Sugar Bowl alumnus claimed the tragedy had nothing to do with the victims’ skiing abilities.

“I was pretty surprised that there were people skiing in the village, but I don’t think it’s a matter of anyone’s skill,” said Alex Alvarez, who joined the academy during his freshman year of high school. CBS News.

‘I guess it’s more like Mother Nature saying, ‘Hey, this is a bad time.’

Alvarez added that the extent of devastation in the Lake Tahoe area, where nine people died, was “truly unexpected.”

‘We do encounter large avalanches, but usually there are only one or two,’ he said.

The rockslide was the deadliest event in modern California history, and rescuers were unable to recover the bodies of eight skiers on Castle Peak. amid treacherous conditions expected to continue at least through Thursday.

Meanwhile, a ninth person is still missing but presumed dead.

Six people who completed a three-day ski tour organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides were rescued six hours after the avalanche.

Kate Vitt is VP of Product Operations and Customer Success at SiriusXM

Skiers took off under challenging conditions in the Lake Tahoe region

Officials said skiers had little time to react.

‘Someone saw the avalanche and shouted ‘Avalanche’. “And that got them pretty quickly,” said Capt. Russell ‘Rusty’ Greene of the Nevada County sheriff’s office.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said investigators will review the decision to continue the trip Sunday despite a forecast of a major storm approaching.

At 6:49 that morning, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche watch stating that large avalanches were likely in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Watches were raised to a warning that an avalanche was expected at 5 a.m. Tuesday. It is unclear whether the guides were aware of this change before starting the return journey.

Blackbird Mountain Guides also said in a statement Wednesday night that it was launching an investigation and pausing field operations at least through the weekend, prioritizing support for the victims’ families.

The company guides leading the group were trained or certified in backcountry skiing and were also instructors with the American Avalanche Research and Training Institute.

Some of the victims of the tragic California avalanche were a group of mothers whose children attended the exclusive Sugar Bowl Academy ski school in the Lake Tahoe area.

Zeb Blais, founder of Blackbird Mountain Guides, said in a statement that while in the field they were “in contact with senior guides at our base to discuss the conditions and the route based on the conditions.”

“We don’t have all the answers yet, and it may take some time to find out,” the company said. ‘In the meantime, please keep those affected in your hearts.’

But for those who have lost loved ones, McAlister said ‘this is their worst nightmare’.

She told the Times that Sekar and her husband were in the process of setting up a guest house at their San Francisco property, and said she texted him about visiting just last week.

‘I actually had it written down in my calendar to call him because we were on a phone call,’ McAlister recounted.

He said Sekar works in the technology industry, but his real passion is taking care of his two sons.

Her husband, Kiren Sekar, 46, also described his wife as a “genuine and shamelessly unfiltered” woman who spread joy and enthusiasm to her friends, her children’s school and her neighborhood.

He said he and Caroline had been together for more than 20 years and raised their two children to love hiking, cycling and skiing in the mountains.

‘Caroline spent her last days doing what she loved most, in her favorite place, with the people who loved her most,’ Kiren said.

‘He was with me, his kids and our puppy, and then he set off on one last adventure with his sister and close friends, with whom he is now relaxing.’