Families on Thursday identified six of the eight backcountry skiers killed in California’s deadliest avalanche in the state’s recorded history. Another skier who has yet to be found is also presumed dead.The six known victims of the avalanche are: Carrie AtkinLiz ClabaughDanielle KeatleyKate MorseCaroline SekarKate Vitt”We are devastated beyond words,” a statement from the families said. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”The statement said all were “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”They lived in the San Francisco Bay area, Idaho and the Truckee-Tahoe region.Vitt was a former vice president for SiriusXM and graduated from Boston College in 2004 with a degree in English, sister station WCVB confirmed. Caroline Sekar and Liz Clabaugh were sisters, family members told The New York Times. Sekar, 45, lived in San Francisco. Clabaugh, 52, lived in Boise, Idaho.The group of 15 skiers was concluding a three-day excursion when an avalanche swept them away around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 17. Despite learning about the snow slide shortly after it happened, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said fierce blizzard conditions made accessing the avalanche scene difficult to reach.Search and rescue crews, comprising volunteers and multiple agencies, arrived at the site at 5:30 p.m. Once they got there, they took a snowcat for two miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid the risk of another avalanche.What they found was an employee with Blackbird Mountain Guides and five clients, the only survivors. Three other guides and six clients died following the avalanche.On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it paused efforts to recover the bodies amid hazardous weather conditions. Until the bodies are pulled from the mountain, officials will not be able to identify those killed.The statement from the families of the victims said there were eight skiers on the trip together, and all were close friends.”They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”The families said they were “profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond.””We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the statement said. “We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.”
Families on Thursday identified six of the eight backcountry skiers killed in California’s deadliest avalanche in the state’s recorded history. Another skier who has yet to be found is also presumed dead.
The six known victims of the avalanche are:
- Carrie Atkin
- Liz Clabaugh
- Danielle Keatley
- Kate Morse
- Caroline Sekar
- Kate Vitt
“We are devastated beyond words,” a statement from the families said. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”
The statement said all were “passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”
They lived in the San Francisco Bay area, Idaho and the Truckee-Tahoe region.
Vitt was a former vice president for SiriusXM and graduated from Boston College in 2004 with a degree in English, sister station WCVB confirmed.
Caroline Sekar and Liz Clabaugh were sisters, family members told The New York Times. Sekar, 45, lived in San Francisco. Clabaugh, 52, lived in Boise, Idaho.
The group of 15 skiers was concluding a three-day excursion when an avalanche swept them away around 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 17. Despite learning about the snow slide shortly after it happened, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said fierce blizzard conditions made accessing the avalanche scene difficult to reach.
Search and rescue crews, comprising volunteers and multiple agencies, arrived at the site at 5:30 p.m. Once they got there, they took a snowcat for two miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid the risk of another avalanche.
What they found was an employee with Blackbird Mountain Guides and five clients, the only survivors. Three other guides and six clients died following the avalanche.
On Thursday, the sheriff’s office said it paused efforts to recover the bodies amid hazardous weather conditions. Until the bodies are pulled from the mountain, officials will not be able to identify those killed.
The statement from the families of the victims said there were eight skiers on the trip together, and all were close friends.
“They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains,” the statement said. “They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.”
The families said they were “profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond.”
“We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the statement said. “We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss.”
