Numbers remain fluid as rescue teams race the weather
Multiple official updates and news reports give slightly different totals, but the consistent facts are that a backcountry avalanche in the Castle Peak/Donner Summit area of the Sierra Nevada struck a guided group in bad weather and that search-and-rescue teams are actively working the scene. Authorities reported at least six skiers were found alive and rescued or located after the slide. Initial incident counts of the party ranged between 15 and 16 people.
Reports of those still unaccounted for have varied as rescuers refined their tallies: some outlets cited nine people still missing after six were rescued, while others reported ten unaccounted for. That discrepancy reflects rapidly changing information on the ground as search crews comb difficult terrain, reconcile lists of the group, and contend with a continuing winter storm.
Why the uncertainty persists
- Harsh conditions: Ongoing blizzard and avalanche risk slow helicopter and ground operations and make it hard to confirm exact locations.
- Conflicting initial manifests: Early reports about the party’s size and composition differed, then were updated as authorities cross-checked records.
- Rapidly evolving rescue work: New survivors, casualties, or additional missing persons can be reported as teams reach different pockets of the avalanche debris.
What rescuers are doing now
- Deploying ground teams on skis and snowcats to hard-to-reach areas.
- Using search dogs, transceivers, probing poles and avalanche beacons where possible.
- Coordinating with air assets when weather allows to search large zones more quickly.
The situation remains active and evolving. Officials urge the public to avoid backcountry travel while rescue operations continue and say they will release consolidated casualty and rescue numbers when they are certain.
