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Images show scale of California avalanche that buried nine skiers alive

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2/20/2026: Rescuers at the Perry's Peak Avalanche site.
Newly released images show the horrifying impact of the deadliest avalanche in modern California history. The avalanche barreled down a mountainside in the Lake Tahoe-area and killed nine skiers who were buried alive. The photographs, released by the Sierra Avalanche Center, show the slope fracturing without warning at Castle Peak, roaring 400 vertical feet down the mountain with powerful force on Tuesday, February 17. (Picture Sierra Avalanche Center)
(2/20/2026) Perrys Peak 8320 feet. The site of the avalanche that occurred on Tuesday February 17, 2026. Previous photo of area.
The images, together with timelines, show just how quickly the snowslide hit. Fifteen backcountry skiers were returning to their cars when the avalanche caught twelve of the fifteen, with the bodies of eight skiers found during a rescue effort. Three of the party who were not caught in the avalanche were able to perform a search and rescued three people alive. These six skiers were evacuated, while one member of the group remains missing and is presumed dead, Daily Mail reports. (Picture: Sierra Avalanche Center)
Castle Peak Avalanche rescue efforts in Lake Tahoe area winter conditions 15569163 10 skiers missing after devastating avalanche near Lake Tahoe as rescue teams desperately search for survivors
The survivors were then transported for medical care, according to the avalanche center’s report. When the storm had subsided, helicopters operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company were deployed with 5,500-pound, 660-gallon water buckets. This was in an effort to stabilize the fragile snowpack and prevent further slides. (Picture: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office)
2/20/2026: Rescuers at the Perry's Peak Avalanche site.
Crews worked into the night to excavate eight of the deceased victims, while also evacuating the six survivors. Rescue operations concluded on Saturday, February 21. The guiding company leading the tour called Blackbird Mountain Guides confirmed what it called the ‘devastating loss’ of three of its guides: Andrew Alissandratos, Niki Choo and Mike Henry. (Picture: Sierra Avalanche Center)
A vehicle with rescuers stands next to a closed sign along a trail that leads to the site of a deadly avalanche in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Soda Springs, California, U.S., February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Fred Greaves
The other losses included six mothers who were all part of a close-knit group of friends. They were all said to be experienced backcountry skiers who knew how to navigate the wilderness, as well as devoted parents, friends and partners whose bond extended from their families to the mountains they loved. (Picture: REUTERS)
Caroline Sekar 15575995 Two sisters named as victims of Lake Tahoe avalanche that buried eight moms alive
The six ‘extraordinary women’ lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, Idaho and near Lake Tahoe.
• Carrie Atkin, 46, who had a celebrated career in the Bay Area before she and her husband moved their family to the Sierra Nevada mountains to live out their ‘dream life.’
• Kate Morse, 45, a mother to two daughters and one son, who most recently served as vice president of commercial strategy at Septerna, a Bay Area-based biotechnology company.
•  Danielle Keatley, 44, also lived in the Bay Area and ran a natural winemaking business alongside her husband Dave, whom she first met at a vineyard in Napa. 
•  Kate Vitt, 43, a SiriusXM executive and mother-of-two, who was the first avalanche victim to be named.
• Caroline Sekar (pictured), 45, and Liz Clabaugh, 52, who were sisters. Sekar was a mother of two who lived in San Francisco and Clabaugh worked for St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho. (Picture: Facebook)
Liz Clabaugh 15575995 Two sisters named as victims of Lake Tahoe avalanche that buried eight moms alive
Mourners gathered for a vigil in downtown Truckee after The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office publicly identified all nine victims. The Sierra Avalanche Center had issued an avalanche watch on the morning of the first day of the trip, indicating a high risk of large avalanches, and the Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said authorities will investigate why the guides proceeded with the tour despite the forecast. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, a state agency that regulates workplace safety, is also investigating. Pictured: Liz Clabaugh. (Picture: Facebook)

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