Khaberni - California's emergency teams have concluded the search operations for skiers who went missing following an avalanche, recovering the bodies of 9 people 4 days after the incident.
Authorities announced that the search teams found 8 victims at the avalanche site that occurred last Tuesday at the peak of “Castle Peak” near Lake Tahoe, while the ninth victim was found at a relatively close distance, after poor visibility conditions hindered locating him in the initial hours of the incident.
Officials explained that heavy snowfall and the elevated risk of further avalanches caused the suspension of recovery operations for several days, before resuming Saturday morning with the participation of National Guard helicopters and highway patrols.
The bodies were airlifted to designated points, then transferred via vehicles equipped for snow travel to safe areas.
According to data from the National Avalanche Center, the number of avalanche victims annually in the United States ranges between 25 and 30. The same area had witnessed a similar incident last January, resulting in the death of one person.
