Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Thursday that some of the skiers killed in an avalanche Tuesday in the Lake Tahoe region were from the Bay Area.
“Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives and a community of skiers and a community of families from the Bay Area,” Newsom said at a briefing in Colma, where he signed a bill for a transportation loan. “It’s the most devastating avalanche in terms of loss of life we’ve ever experienced.”
The avalanche hit a group of backcountry skiers near Castle Peak around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. Search efforts rescued six victims, but eight were found dead, and one is still missing, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a statement from the families of six of the victims, eight of those caught in the avalanche were close friends who planned a professionally guided, two-night backcountry trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.
“The trip had been organized well in advance,” the joint statement reads. “They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains. They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip.”
While the Sheriff’s Office has yet to formally release the identities of the victims, the families of six of the victims provided their names in a statement — Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt.
“They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors,” reads the statement. “They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains. They lived in the Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee-Tahoe region.”
Vitt worked in San Francisco as the vice president of product operations and customer success at SiriusXM, according to LinkedIn.
Sekar worked in San Francisco as a consultant and graduated from Stanford University, her LinkedIn profile says.
Newsom said that he and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, have mutual friends of at least one of the victims through their connections to Marin County.
“Turns out, a lot of mutual friends in Marin County,” he said. “Just learning some of my wife’s old family friends.”
Newsom and his family have also visited the area many times. His son recently returned from a trip to the Tahoe area.
“My son just came back from Tahoe and could have easily one of those folks,” he said. “I’ve been in that area many, many times, stayed in those cabins just a year or so ago.”
Newsom urged the public to remain vigilant and cautious about going to the mountains given the snowy conditions.
“The conditions continue to be intense up there. “Take very, very literally and seriously any of the advisories as it relates to making sure you’re protected and making sure family and friends are protected.”
The United States Forest Service for Tahoe National Forest closed all trails and lands in the Castle Peak area near Truckee Thursday in response to the avalanche.