TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Officials worked to lower the risks of more deadly slides Friday in the area where an avalanche struck in California’s Sierra Nevada so crews could safely recover the bodies of the people killed.
Rescue crews loaded up a snow vehicle with skis and other supplies and headed toward the area near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe, while helicopters circled overhead. Avalanche mitigation work is designed to intentionally release unstable snowpack to reduce the risk when rescue crews go in.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s office previously said the mitigation work would include controlled explosions, but later said Friday’s efforts only involved using water to break up snow. The work was done in partnership with Pacific Gas & Electric.
Brutal weather and the threat of more avalanches have kept crews from safely recovering the bodies of the eight people killed and another still missing from Tuesday’s avalanche, which was roughly the size of a football field.
Authorities are investigating the avalanche, including whether criminal negligence played a role in the tragedy, a sheriff’s office leading one of several investigations said Friday.
Why the tour company that organized the backcountry ski trip didn't cancel in the face of a powerful storm and what their guides knew as the weather worsened are the questions being considered.
Both the Nevada County Sheriff’s office and a state agency that regulates workplace safety have opened investigations. Ashley Quadros, a spokesperson with the sheriff's office, declined on Friday to share more information, saying it is an open investigation.
Six of the people who died were part of a close-knit group of friends who were experienced backcountry skiers and knew how to navigate the alpine wilderness, their families said. The three others who are dead or presumed dead were guides.
“We are devastated beyond words,” the families said in a statement released Thursday through a spokesperson. The women were mothers, wives and friends who “connected through the love of the outdoors,” they said, and were carrying avalanche safety equipment and prepared for backcountry travel.
Victims were loved by their neighbors
Source: WPLG
