California Avalanche
A U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter takes off from the Truckee Tahoe Airport as recovery efforts for a group of missing skiers continue, continue in Truckee, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026.
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Authorities said Saturday that crews recovered the bodies of nine backcountry skiers who were killed in a California avalanche four days ago. Rescuers discovered the bodies of eight of the victims earlier in the week, but one person was still missing and presumed dead until Friday night. Search teams were unable to retrieve the bodies of the nine victims until Friday evening and Saturday morning because the risk of another avalanche was too high. Ultimately the Nevada County Sheriff's Department relied on numerous state and local search and rescue teams and dozens of volunteers to find the bodies.
