HomeWorld NewsHaunting 911 call as ‘supermom’ skiers were struck by Calif.’s deadliest avalanche

Haunting 911 call as ‘supermom’ skiers were struck by Calif.’s deadliest avalanche

Published on

spot_img

A chilling 911 dispatch call captured the frantic final moments of a group of “supermom” skiers who were struck by the deadliest avalanche in California history, leaving nine dead.

“Medical for avalanche in the area of Castle Peak reported as 9 to 10 people, three buried, others attempting to dig them out,” a dispatcher is heard saying on the call that came in around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

A 911 dispatch call captured the frantic final moments of a group of skiers who were struck by the deadliest avalanche in California history, leaving nine dead.
A Nevada County Sheriff Search & Rescue van parked near an orange
Search and rescue crews were dispatched immediately but it took roughly six hours to reach the remote site near California’s Lake Tahoe. REUTERS

The snowslide tore through the group of 11 clients and four guides, who were backcountry skiing in California’s Sierra Nevada terrain.

Search and rescue crews were dispatched immediately but it took roughly six hours to reach the remote site.

When rescuers arrived, they found four men and two women huddled together, trying to keep warm after digging out three of their skiing companions who had already died.

US Forest Service officers posting signs to prevent people from entering the Castle Peak area.
US Forest Service officers post signs to prevent people from entering the Castle Peak area as avalanche operations continue in Truckee, California. Josh Edelson for CA Post

The California Post is here. Sign up for Morning Report.

Get the perfect blend of news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

Thanks for signing up!

The bodies of five more skiers were later recovered, bringing the death toll to nine, including one person who had initially been listed as missing, now presumed dead.

The victims have since been identified as six moms — Carrie Atkin, Kate Morse, Danielle Keatley, Caroline Sekar, Kate Vitt and Liz Claubaugh — along with three tour guides, all employees of Blackbird Mountain Guides: Michael Henry, Andrew Alissandratos and Nicole Choo.

Their bodies were recovered Friday and Saturday after an around-the-clock search in the backcountry terrain.


Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!


Latest articles

Obama Bemoans ‘Assault on Our Democratic Institutions’ at Jesse Jackson Memorial | Video

Former President Barack Obama on Friday criticized what he called a daily “assault on...

Goodbye ‘Outlander’: Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan Look Back on Jamie and Claire’s Enduring Love

Over a decade after landing the leading heroine role in the beloved time-travel series...

An Island Nation in the South Pacific Leads the Latest Push for Climate Justice at the UN

Led by the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, a coalition of countries are introducing a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly that could reinforce countries’ legal obligations under international climate laws and treaties. The resolution would back a July 2025 climate advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice that frames climate commitments

More like this

Obama Bemoans ‘Assault on Our Democratic Institutions’ at Jesse Jackson Memorial | Video

Former President Barack Obama on Friday criticized what he called a daily “assault on...

Goodbye ‘Outlander’: Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan Look Back on Jamie and Claire’s Enduring Love

Over a decade after landing the leading heroine role in the beloved time-travel series...