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A Sierra Nevada sheriff is digging into a Lake Tahoe guide company’s fateful decision to lead a backcountry expedition into heavy snow before a catastrophic avalanche killed eight skiers Tuesday.
The burgeoning probe into Blackbird Mountain Guides was revealed by Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon amid a grim news conference Wednesday over the deadliest avalanche in California’s recent history.
“Those are the decisions that the guide company clearly had made,” Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said.
“We’re still in conversations with them on the decision factors.”
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The tragedy unfolded as a three-day excursion led by Blackbird Mountain Guides north of Lake Tahoe wound down.
Four tour guides and 11 clients were struck by an avalanche around 11:30 a.m., authorities said.
The snowslide prompted a desperate rescue mission amid treacherously snowy conditions — with ultimately tragic results.
Eight skiers were found dead, with a ninth still missing and presumed deceased, Moon said.
Another six survived the avalanche and huddled under tarps erected as makeshift tents before their rescue, the sheriff said.
Even as rescuers still trudged through the dangerous backcountry, many online critics turned their attention toward Blackbird Mountain Guides.
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The outfit posted a video Monday warning of an incoming “BIG storm.” It depicted a guide sifting through the snow, with a retroactively chilling caption: “This weak layer could lead to some unpredictable avalanches!”
The tell-tale snow layer, coupled with advance notice of the storm, had many commenters pondering why the company hadn’t pulled the plug on the excursion.
“Leading people to their deaths,” one commenter posted under the video after the tragedy.
Representatives for Blackbird Mountain Guides didn’t return requests for comment.
“We are currently focused on dealing with an incident in the Lake Tahoe area,” an automated text message from the company stated.
Additional reporting by Ross O’Keefe
English (US)