Rescuers are currently weighing the idea of setting off explosives in order to trigger additional avalancheson the mountain where at least eight skierswere killed.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office has beenunable to recover the bodies of the dead skierssince the horrific avalanche Tuesday. In order to make conditions safer for rescuers, officials will now take to the air to decide whether or not they can manually trigger avalanches with explosives.
“The objective of the aerial surveys is to visually assess the conditions of the avalanche scene and snowpack as well as to make determinations if controlled avalanche mitigation may be possible at some point. Controlled avalanche mitigation consists of pre-planned explosive deployment to intentionally release unstable snowpack,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said.
“These proactive measures are designed to reduce the risk of naturally occurring avalanches and enhance first responder safety within the affected area, so they may recover victims with lower risk.”
The recovery process has been delayed by inclement weather and the fear of additional avalanches in the area. Whileeight skiers are confirmed dead, there’s at least one more missingand presumed dead.
If a decision is made to deploy the explosives, officials say they’ll first inform the public. The Tahoe National Forest announced a closure of the Castle Peak area from Feb. 20 to March 15.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
