SKI TRAGEDY
6 moms buried alive in deadly avalanche that killed 9 as haunting details of survivors’ desperate rescue efforts emerge
A GROUP of six mothers have been identified as some of the victims of the deadly avalanche in California that left nine dead.
The six women, all friends and experienced skiers, were killed in the deadly Lake Tahoe avalanche on Tuesday.
Kate Vitt has been identified as one of six women who died in the avalancheCredit: X/KateVitt
Caroline Sekar is one of two sisters who died in the incidentCredit: Facebook/Caroline Sekar
Liz Clabaugh was one of six women on a ski trip when the accident occurredCredit: Instagram/Liz Clabaugh
A total of 15 people were on the three day ski excursion through the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California when it hit.
Four of the party were guides from the company Blackbird Mountain Guides, while the other 11 were clients.
Rescuers have recovered eight bodies, with one skier still missing but now presumed dead.
The six moms who died have been identified as: Caroline Sekar, Liz Clabaugh, Carrie Atkin, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, and Kate Vitt.
They are all either from the Bay Area, Idaho, or the Truckee-Tahoe region.
Four men and two women survived the terrifying ordeal, reported the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
Nevada County Undersheriff Sam Brown has revealed the harrowing details of their desperate attempts to save others in the group.
The skiers “went into frantic mode of trying to find their friends and partners. And they were ultimately able to unbury three individuals who did not survive,” Undersheriff Brown told CBS News.
“Uncovering people who are deceased, that they know and probably cared about, is just horrible.”
There was eight feet of snow and 90mph winds when the avalanche occurred.
“We are devastated beyond words,” the families of the victims said in a joint statement.
“Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women.
The search is likely to continue into the weekendCredit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office
“They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.”
They added: “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.”
Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho, and Sekar, 45, of San Francisco, were sisters, their brother McAlister Clabaugh told The New York Times.
The three others who died have not yet been identified, but they are ski guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides. They were leading the three-day backcountry skiing expedition.
The women on the trip, all experienced skiers, were friends, most of whom went to Stanford University.
“I’m just devastated. These are two of the best people I’ve ever known. They were incredible sisters, mothers, wives and friends,” Clabaugh said.
“And the idea that they are both gone is, I don’t even know how to put it into words.”
The deadliest avalanche in modern California history took place in the Sierra Nevada MountainsCredit: Getty
Vitt, who has two children, was a former executive at SiriusXM who lived with her husband Geoff in Marin County, near San Francisco.
One of the women who died was the partner of one of the people on the search-and-rescue teams, making the rescue “challenging emotionally”, said Sheriff Wayne Woo, of Placer County.
The authorities had a second group of search and rescue crews on standby for the rescuers themselves, in case another avalanche was triggered.
Sugar Bowl Academy, a ski school in Placer County, California, said multiple members of its community had died in what is now the deadliest avalanche in modern California history but did not publicly identify them.
“We are an incredibly close and connected community,” said Stephen McMahon, executive director.
“This tragedy has affected each and every one of us.
“The depth of support for the families whose lives have been changed forever reminds us of how special this community is.”
Rescuers have found the bodies of eight out of the nine dead, but the search was hampered by the dangerous weather conditions.
The search is likely to carry on into the weekend.
The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said it would confirm the identities of all the victims once the search was complete.
Rescue efforts have been impeded by the severe weather conditionsCredit: Reuters
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