Report: Three of six Tahoe avalanche survivors buried in snow before rescue

"The rescue under Perry's Peak would have been harrowing, experts said, as those on the surface typically only have about ten minutes to locate and dig out avalanche survivors possibly already wounded by blunt-force trauma as they were swept up by a wall of snow before they run out of oxygen and asphyxiate."

"A soft-slab avalanche could have either involved the new snow itself failing, or the weaker layer underneath failing and releasing the new snow on top. Those scenarios could either be triggered by new snow falling on existing snow; a cornice, or mass of hanging snow, falling; or a human trigger."

"With 12 skiers buried under the snow and only three on the surface, it would have been highly unlikely they could all be located alive. That would be extremely difficult, said Robert Rice, a UC Merced associate professor and former avalanche forecaster. Digging through avalanche snow is very, very difficult."

A deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe killed nine people during a backcountry skiing trip on February 17. According to the Sierra Avalanche Center's report, three of the survivors were buried under snow and rescued by their fellow skiers in the critical minutes following the disaster. With twelve people buried and only three on the surface, locating all survivors alive was extremely unlikely. The avalanche was classified as a soft-slab type, potentially triggered by new snow, a falling cornice, or human activity. Rescuers reached the scene that evening and found six survivors who had located three deceased companions. Recovery operations for remaining victims were delayed due to severe weather and ongoing avalanche danger.

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