The bodies of all nine people who died in the Feb. 17 avalanche near Castle Peak in California’s Tahoe National Forest have now been recovered, authorities confirmed, closing a days-long search and recovery effort that was hindered by severe weather and dangerous backcountry conditions.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office announced that the final three victims have been identified as Michael Henry, 30, of Soda Springs, California; Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada; and Nicole “Niki” Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, California. All three were professional guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides, the company that led the backcountry skiing trip.
They join six previously identified victims: Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs, California; Lizabeth “Liz” Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco, California; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, California; Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, California; and Katherine “Kate” Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, California.
According to the sheriff’s office, the group of 15 experienced backcountry skiers had been returning from a three-day trip to the Frog Lake huts near Truckee when the avalanche struck Tuesday afternoon.
Six people survived the slide. Rescue crews reached the area shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, but recovery efforts extended into the following days due to what Sheriff Shannan Moon described as “hazardous” and “horrific” mountain conditions.
Sheriff Moon said the terrain where the avalanche occurred was “very remote and rugged,” complicating access for search teams.
Five victims were recovered on the evening of Feb. 20, and the remaining four were recovered the morning of Feb. 21.
Captain Russell Greene of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office noted earlier in the week that some survivors sought shelter under trees while awaiting rescue and that the group had avalanche beacons, which aided response efforts.
Family members of the six women initially identified described them as close friends who shared a deep love of the outdoors.
In a public statement, they said they were “devastated beyond words” and emphasized that the women were “mothers, wives and friends” who were passionate and highly skilled skiers.
The families said they are now focused on supporting their children and honoring the lives of the victims.
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo previously confirmed that one of the nine victims was the spouse of a member of a local search-and-rescue team, underscoring the tight-knit nature of the mountain community affected by the tragedy.
Officials said six survivors endured hours in the snow and freezing temperatures before help arrived. Two survivors were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and later released.
The avalanche, one of the deadliest in California in recent decades, has prompted renewed attention to backcountry safety and rapidly changing weather conditions in the Sierra Nevada.
Authorities continue to review the circumstances surrounding the slide while community members across the Tahoe region mourn the loss of nine lives.
