Cause Of Death Revealed For 9 Victims In Deadly Tahoe Avalanche: Report

TRUCKEE, CA — All nine people killed in February’s Castle Peak avalanche died from asphyxia after being buried by snow, according to coroner reports obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.

The partially redacted reports from the Nevada County Coroner’s Office indicate the victims died within minutes after a roughly 100-foot-wide wall of snow swept about 400 feet down the mountain northwest of Truckee on Feb. 17, the Chronicle reported.

Six of the victims were part of a close-knit group of college friends — advanced skiers on a three-day backcountry adventure together, and three were guides with the expedition company.

The three Blackbird Mountain Guides were Michael Henry, 30, of Tampa, Fla., Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nev., and Nicole Choo of South Lake Tahoe.

The six skiers killed were Caroline Sekar, Carrie Atkin, Kate Vitt, Liz Clabaugh, Kate Morse, and Danielle Keatley.

Rescue crews faced whiteout conditions and continued avalanche danger before recovering all nine bodies several days later.

The Sierra Avalanche Center previously said additional snowfall buried evidence that might have shown what triggered the slide.

The nonprofit also found that the group traveled below avalanche terrain during dangerous conditions and was large enough to potentially trigger the avalanche.

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Several members of the group were wearing avalanche airbag backpacks, but none of the devices deployed, according to the Chronicle.

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office opened a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the trip.