Deadliest avalanches in US history revealed after eight skiers found dead

Survivors of this week’s tragedy discovered three bodies as they waited to be rescued

Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and one is still missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe Tuesday.

Search and rescue crews rushed to the Castle Peak area, northwest of Lake Tahoe, Tuesday after a 911 call about an avalanche that had buried 15 skiers.

“Someone saw the avalanche, yelled avalanche, and it overtook them rather quickly,” Capt. Russell “Rusty” Greene, of the Nevada County sheriff’s office said.

Six victims were found later Tuesday while a desperate search continued for nine others.

While they waited to be rescued, the survivors used equipment to shelter themselves and fend off temperatures dipping below freezing. The survivors located three others who had died during the wait.

The avalanche in Northern California's Sierra Nevada mountains this week is one of the deadliest in U.S. history. (via REUTERS)

The bodies of eight skiers had been found by Wednesday afternoon, and one remains missing. The victims, including three guides, were found fairly close together, Greene said.

The dead and missing include seven women and two men, ranging in ages from 30 to 55. Crews were not immediately able to remove the victims from the mountain because of the extreme conditions.

The avalanche in Northern California's Sierra Nevada mountains is one of the deadliest in U.S. history.

Here's a look at the others:

1910: Wellington, Washington — 96 killed

A massive wall of snow swept two Great Northern passenger trains into a gorge, killing 96 people.

The trains had been stuck on the tracks for days because of bad weather, and some passengers had trekked into town, likely saving their lives.

1898: Chilkoot Trail, Alaska — About 65 killed

In the most deadly event of the Klondike Gold Rush, a series of snow slides in April 1898 killed around 65 people on the Chilkoot Trail.

1981: Mount Rainier, Washington — 11 killed

Ten climbers and a guide were killed by a massive ice avalanche on the Ingraham Glacier, the most deadly mountaineering accident in U.S. history.

1962: Twin Lakes, Colorado — 7 killed

An avalanche wiped out several homes in the town of Twin Lakes near Independence Pass, killing seven residents, including five children.

1982: Alpine Meadows, California — 7 killed

An avalanche crashed into the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe, killing seven people, including four resort employees who remained on site even though the resort had been closed for the day because of the dangerous conditions.

A 22-year-old chairlift operator was rescued five days later after a specially trained dog found her in the remains of the ski chalet.