Eight Back Country Skiers Die in US Avalanche

by admin in RSS Social News. Posted February 18, 2026

The search for a final missing skier continues, but that person is presumed dead said the Nevada County Sheriff’s office.

Fifteen skiers were reported missing on Tuesday after a “football-field” sized avalanche came barreling down in the Castle Peak area around 11:30 local time.

Six of the group have been rescued.

The bodies of the eight dead skiers are still under in the snow and can’t be recovered due to continuing adverse weather conditions.

We reported on the accident and search operation earlier on PlanetSKI

Nine back country skiers after avalanche in the USA

The ski group consisted of 11 recreational skiers and four ski guides.

The families of the deceased have been notified.

Authorities have not yet released any of their names.

Officials said one of the deceased was the spouse of someone on one of the search-and-rescue teams, making continued rescue efforts “challenging emotionally”.

“I want to offer my condolences to the family in this very trying time,” said Placer County Sheriff, Wayne Woo.

The rescue operation involved two teams and roughly 50 crew members who had to traverse “extreme weather conditions” using specialised equipment.

The survivors took shelter in make-shift tents before being rescued.

Two of the six survivors had to be carried back and could not walk because of the injuries they sustained in the avalanche.

They are being treated in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Among the survivors, one was a guide and five were clients of the Blackbird Mountain guided tour.

The avalanche was rated as a D2.5 on a destructive potential scale of D1 to D5, according to the Sierra Avalanche Centre.

It was over half a mile in length with a depth of around 2m.

The Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, which is near where the accident occurred, has reported over 76cm of snowfall in the past 48-hours.

The storm has also closed several highways, including Interstate 80 and Highway 50.

PlanetSKI: Number 1 for digital ski news

Your digital platform for ski news, resort information, travel, equipment rental, sport, money saving deals and everything connected with snowsports – web site, social media & more.