The identities of three ski guides who tragically lost their lives in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe have been made public by authorities. The announcement came on Saturday.
According to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, the victims—Michael Henry, 30, Andrew Alissandratos, 34, and Nicole Choo, 42—were all employed by Blackbird Mountain Guides. They were caught in the fatal snow slide that occurred on Tuesday at Castle Peak.
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In addition to the guides, six mothers, who were clients of Blackbird, also perished in the avalanche. The bodies of all victims have since been recovered from the mountain, officials confirmed.
On Saturday, the California National Guard deployed a BlackHawk helicopter to assist in the recovery of the bodies.
Authorities provided details about the avalanche, noting that it covered an area approximately the size of a football field.
A search team managed to reach eight of the victims and locate a ninth individual who had been missing and was presumed dead.
The final victim was found near the others, but the search team initially failed to see the body due to blizzard-like conditions on the mountain.
The six other victims were identified as Katherine Vitt, 43, Carrie Atkin, 46, Danielle Keatley, 44, Kate Morse, and sisters Caroline Sekar, 45, and Liz Claubaugh, 52.
