Eight skiers killed in California avalanche with race on to find possible survivor

Eight skiers have been found dead amid fears for one still missing in the deadliest avalanche the US has seen in more than 40 years.

Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said during a news conference that authorities have told the families the mission has moved from rescue to recovery.

It is the deadliest avalanche in the US since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington.

Rescuers received SOS alerts from survivors phones and an emergency beacon.

They say rescuers were able to text with some of those who had survived the avalanche.

Sheriff Shannan Moon said the remaining missing person is presumed dead.

She added that of the nine people who died on the mountain, seven are women and two are men. Three guides leading the tour are presumed among the dead.

According to survivors, one of the group saw the incoming danger, ‘yelled avalanche, then it overtook them fairly quickly’.

Crews have faced treacherous conditions in their search for the missing skiers since the avalanche struck Tuesday morning.

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.

Six of them have been found alive.

The group was on a three-day trek in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada as a monster storm pummeled the region.

Two of those rescued after several hours of searching were taken to a hospital for treatment, said Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

Russell Greene, who led the rescue operation, says the eight who have died are still in the avalanche area. 

He feared more snow would rebury the bodies and potentially put his volunteers in even more danger.

The skiers were on the last day of a backcountry skiing trip and had spent two nights in the huts, said Steve Reynaud, an avalanche forecaster with the Sierra Avalanche Center.

He said the area requires navigating rugged mountainous terrain. All food and supplies need to be carried to the huts.

Reaching the huts in winter takes several hours and requires backcountry skills, avalanche training and safety equipment.

Blackbird Mountain Guides said in a statement the group, including four guides, was returning to the trailhead when the avalanche occurred.

‘Our thoughts are with the missing individuals, their families, and first responders in the field,’ Blackbird said. The company said it is helping authorities in the search.