Final moments of 'supermom' skiers struck by Calif. avalanche revealed in 911 call

A harrowing 911 call has surfaced, capturing the desperate final moments of a group of skiers, often celebrated as “supermoms,” who met their tragic end in California’s most lethal avalanche, which claimed nine lives.

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

The devastating avalanche swept through a party of 11 clients and four guides, all engaging in backcountry skiing adventures in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California.

Search and rescue teams were deployed without delay, but it took them approximately six hours to navigate to the remote avalanche site.


Search and rescue crews were dispatched immediately but it took roughly six hours to reach the remote site near California’s Lake Tahoe. REUTERS

Once the rescuers reached the location, they discovered four men and two women grouped together, struggling to stay warm after managing to unearth three of their companions who had already succumbed to the snow.

Subsequent recovery efforts led to the retrieval of five additional bodies, escalating the grim death toll to nine. This included one individual who had been initially reported missing but is now considered deceased.

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.


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