Families identify some victims of California avalanche near Lake Tahoe

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Some of the victims of the deadly California avalanche adjacent Lake Tahoe were identified connected Thursday.

A spokesperson for the families of six of the avalanche victims identified them arsenic Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt, residents of the Bay Area, Idaho and the Truckee-Tahoe region.

Vitt, a erstwhile SiriusXM enforcement from the Bay Area, was besides identified by a household person to CBS News.

"It's a horrible tragedy," said the person who has known the household for 50 years. "She died up successful the mountains disconnected of I-80 up determination adjacent Sugar Bowl. She and her friends were connected a guided overnight backcountry skiing trip."

The person asked not to beryllium named retired of respect for the family. Vitt is survived by her hubby and 2 young children.

"We are devastated beyond words," a connection from the six families' spokesperson read. "Our absorption close present is supporting our children done this unthinkable calamity and honoring the lives of these bonzer women. They were each mothers, wives and friends, each of whom connected done the emotion of the outdoors. They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished clip unneurotic successful the mountains."

A radical of 15 skiers was deed by the avalanche connected Tuesday adjacent Castle Peak successful Nevada County, northbound of Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, arsenic a dense snowstorm brought blizzard conditions to the higher elevations successful Northern California. Eight of the 9 skiers who were reported missing aft the avalanche person been recovered dead, with the ninth missing skier besides presumed deceased. Six were rescued.

"We person galore unanswered questions, but present is what we cognize astatine this time: Eight adjacent friends planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut travel to Frog Lake Huts extracurricular Truckee, California," the families' connection continued. "The travel had been organized good successful advance. They were experienced backcountry skiers who profoundly respected the mountains. They were trained and prepared for backcountry question and trusted their nonrecreational guides connected this trip. They were afloat equipped with avalanche information equipment."

The families thanked the Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and each the authorities progressive successful the rescue efforts, and said they're grateful "for the outpouring of enactment from the Tahoe assemblage and beyond."

"We are heartbroken and are doing our champion to attraction for 1 different and our families successful the mode we cognize these women would person wanted," they said. "We are asking for privateness and abstraction arsenic our families grieve this abrupt and profound loss."

On Wednesday, the Sugar Bowl Academy successful Placer County said aggregate members of the community and others with beardown connections died successful the avalanche.

Meanwhile, the politician of Mill Valley, California, said women from his metropolis were among the victims successful the avalanche. Mayor Max Perrey told The Associated Press that skiers caught successful the avalanche were mothers who lived successful the metropolis astir 14 miles northbound of San Francisco successful Marin County.

He did not supply further details connected their identities oregon whether the victims were among those killed oregon injured.

The avalanche was the deadliest successful California past and the fourth-deadliest successful U.S. history.

The Placer County Sheriff's Office said the bodies of the 8 skiers recovered dormant person not yet been removed due to the fact that of upwind conditions, and that crews person marked their locations with avalanche poles.

California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health told CBS News Sacramento that it was investigating Blackbird Mountain Guides, the institution that led the skiers connected a three-day backcountry excursion during conditions that had triggered an avalanche warning.

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