Final missing Lake Tahoe skier found dead 5 days after avalanche

Final missing Lake Tahoe skier found dead 5 days after avalanche 8 minutes ago Share Save Christal Hayes and Nardine Saad Los Angeles, California Share Save The ninth and final missing skier has been found dead in California's Lake Tahoe backcountry, five days after a powerful avalanche struck several guides and a tight-knit group of friends on a trip. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said on Saturday during a news conference that all nine bodies have now been recovered from the Castle Peak area in the Sierra Nevada mountains. She also released the names of all nine victims, which included close friends, a pair of sisters and three guides. Two people who were part of the group escaped the "football-field sized" avalanche - the deadliest in modern California history - and authorities said they might help piece together what happened. Sheriff Moon and others during the news conference described the harsh weather rescue crews were met with after the avalanche, and that white-out conditions stalled days of searching. Authorities said there was an ongoing avalanche risk after the Tuesday disaster and high winds prevented them from being able to utilize helicopters for days. When winds calmed on Friday, helicopters were used to pour water over the area - a tactic meant to mitigate an avalanche risk - authorities said. Crews were then sent to search for the ninth missing skier. How rescuers raced against time to reach skiers trapped in avalanche The victims were confirmed on Saturday as: Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs, California; Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho; Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur, California; Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon, California; Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco, California; and Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrae, California. The three Blackbird Mountain guides who died were identified as Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada; Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe, California, and Micha...