Six of the backcountry skiers killed in a California avalanche earlier this week have been identified by their families.
In a Thursday, Feb. 19, statement, the families of the six Castle Peak avalanche victims identified the skiers as: Carrie Atkin; Liz Clabaugh; Danielle Keatley; Kate Morse; Caroline Sekar; and Kate Vitt.
“We are devastated beyond words,” the families said in the statement. “Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women.”
All the women were “mothers, wives, and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” according to the families.
“They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains,” the families said. “They lived in the Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee–Tahoe region.”
Backcountry skiers caught in Castle Peak avalanche
On Tuesday, Feb. 17, a group of backcountry skiers were caught in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California.
California search-and-rescue crews on Wednesday recovered the bodies of eight of the nine backcountry skiers trapped in a powerful avalanche. Officials said the search is continuing for the remaining skier, who is presumed dead.
The avalanche struck a group of skiers — nine women and six men, ages 30 to 55 — about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, near Castle Peak, north of Truckee, amid dangerous winter conditions that had sharply increased avalanche risk across the region.
Six members of the group — four men and two women — survived and were rescued after crews battled harsh weather for hours to reach them that evening. Two were taken to hospitals with injuries, the sheriff’s office said.
As of Thursday afternoon, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office had not identified the avalanche victims.
“Due to hazardous weather conditions, avalanche victims cannot be safely extracted off the mountain today,” deputies said in a Thursday, Feb. 19, Facebook post. Recovery efforts are expected to carry into the weekend. Until the recovery mission is completed, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office is unable to confirm the identifications, ages, affiliations, or cities of origin for the victims.”
California women were experienced backcountry skiers, families say
Currently, the families said they have “many unanswered questions.”
However, they do know that eight friends “planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry hut trip to Frog Lake Huts outside Truckee, California” — a trip that had been planned well in advance.
The women were experienced backcountry skiers who were trained and prepared, as well as fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment, according to the families.
“We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted,” the families said.
Neighbor remembers ‘the sunshine’ of the block
In an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle, neighbor Jen Wofford described Sekar, a mother of two, as “the sunshine” of the block of the Bernal Heights neighborhood in San Francisco.
“Even when talking about a topic that could potentially be negative, she was positive,” Wofford told The Chronicle. “I never heard her say an unkind word about any person. She was always smiling, always polite, would do any little thing to help out a neighbor. If I forgot to get my veggie box, I would open the door on the next day and it would just be there.”
Sekar’s friend told The San Francisco Chronicle that she was a “go-to parent” who often volunteered at her children’s school.
“During COVID, we got together a lot,” Quinn said. “Our kids were all friends. We projected movies onto her garage and closed off the street with our own cones, and Caroline and her home were always the center of it.”
Governor’s wife has personal connection to avalanche
Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Thursday that his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, has a personal connection to the avalanche, The Sacramento Bee reported.
“Turns out, a lot of mutual friends in Marin County. I’m just learning some of my wife’s old family friends,” Newsom told reporters during a press conference about public transit in Daly City, the newspaper reported.
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