Share and Follow
Tragedy struck near Lake Tahoe, California, as eight skiers were confirmed dead following an avalanche. Authorities announced on Wednesday that one individual remains unaccounted for.
In a news briefing, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon informed that the operation has transitioned from a rescue effort to a recovery mission, and the families of those involved have been notified.
Sheriff Moon explained, “The group was returning to their camp when the avalanche occurred. It took the search and rescue teams several hours to locate the initial survivors.”
A snow-covered sign was captured during a storm on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in Truckee, California. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
This incident marks the deadliest avalanche in the United States since 1981, when 11 climbers perished on Mount Rainier in Washington.
Six survivors were found Tuesday night buried in the snow, Moon said, who described the weather conditions as “extreme.”
The skiers were on a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada as a monster winter storm pummeled the West Coast. Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada after a 911 call reporting the avalanche had buried 15 skiers.
This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Heavy snow and the threat of additional avalanches slowed the rescue effort, authorities said.Â
Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement said the group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred.
Pine trees are covered in snow during a storm on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 in Truckee Calif. (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier) (AP Photos/Brooke Hess-Homeier)
“Our thoughts are with the missing individuals, their families, and first responders in the field,” Blackbird said in a statement Wednesday. The company said it is helping authorities in the search.