Rescuers in California on Sunday recovered the body of the ninth and final person missing in an avalanche in the Sierra Nevada mountains, the local sheriff’s office reported.
Teams had been searching for the skiers since Tuesday, when a backcountry trip on 9,109-foot (2,776-metre) Castle Peak in the Lake Tahoe region ended in disaster.
Of the four guides and 11 paying clients, six survived one of the deadliest avalanches in modern US history.
“Nine individuals who lost their lives in the Castle Peak avalanche on 17 February have been safely recovered from the mountain,” the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“There are no words that truly capture the significance of this loss, and our hearts mourn alongside the families of those affected by this catastrophic event,” Sheriff Shannan Moon added.
Officials had warned on Thursday that search operations would extend into the weekend as severe weather continued to batter the area.
The six survivors—five clients and a guide—were able to call for help shortly after the avalanche struck, but white-out conditions and the risk of further slides delayed rescue teams for several hours.
Late on Thursday, families of six of the victims described them as women who were “mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”
“They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains,” the statement said, adding, "We have many unanswered questions.”
