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Fatal Lake Tahoe avalanche: What we know so far
Crews found the bodies of eight backcountry skiers near California’s Lake Tahoe and were searching for one more after they were caught in an avalanche, the nation’s deadliest in nearly half a century, authorities said Wednesday.
TRUCKEE, Calif. - Mill Valley Mayor Max Perrey said Thursday that some of his own constituents were among the group of 15 backcountry skiers who were caught in a deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe's Donner Summit.
Perrey told The Associated Press that some of the skiers "were women from his city," though he was unable to provide details on exactly how many were in the group, their identities or if they were among the seven women killed in the avalanche.
KTVU learned Thursday afternoon that one of the deceased victims is Kate Vitt, a former employee of radio company Sirius XM. She left the company in 2025. It's unclear whether she is from Marin County.
What we know:
Authorities say 15 people were on a three-day skiing trip with Blackbird Mountain Guides, a Truckee-based touring company. The group on Tuesday was on the final day of their backcountry trip in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains when they were trapped by an avalanche about the length of a football field.
Six people survived the avalanche, authorities confirmed. Eight others were killed and one person is still missing, presumed dead.
Some of the members killed were members of the Sugar Bowl Academy community – a private boarding school and ski/snowboard club. Three of the nine victims were tour guides with Blackbird Mountain Guides.
The Source: Associated Press, previous KTVU reporting