8 skiers found dead, one missing after avalanche near Lake Tahoe

( Post Millennial )

In the wake of a Tuesday avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, authorities have revealed that eight of the nine skiers who went missing have been found dead. One still remains missing, with authorities presuming that they are deceased. 

Per the New York Times, the skiers had been part of a three-day backcountry expedition in a recreational area near Castle Peak. 15 people in total, including four guides, had been on the trip. The six who were able to get away from the avalanche were able to use avalanche beacons and iPhone's SOS feature to contact rescuers. Rescue teams were able to arrive six hours later. The survivors pointed the rescuers to three bodies, with five others being found nearby. One of those rescued was a tour guide, while the other five were part of the tour group

Chris Feutrier, supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest, said that the avalanche that buried the skiers had been a football field in length, and that conditions remain dangerous in the area. Capt. Rusty Greene of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department said the bodies of the deceased skiers have not been removed from the area due to weather conditions. "The longer that we continue to have people out there and exposed, the higher chance we put our rescuers in danger."

Greene said that based on the accounts of the survivors, the group had been close together when one person shouted a warning. The bodies had been found close together.