“It took a team of public safety and emergency response professionals to respond to the rescue and recovery of the victims of this avalanche in very challenging conditions.  We appreciate their knowledge, professionalism and response, and extend our sympathy to those who lost loved ones in this tragedy.”

CSLEA President Alan Barcelona

TRUCKEE – On February 21, 2026, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office announced that the nine individuals who lost their lives in the Castle Peak avalanche on February 17th have been safely recovered from the mountain. The first five individuals were recovered on the evening of February 20^th and the remaining four on the morning of February 21^st.

These individuals have been identified in alphabetical order as:

· Andrew Alissandratos, 34, of Verdi, Nevada (Blackbird Mountain Guide)

· Carrie Atkin, 46, of Soda Springs

· Nicole Choo, 42, of South Lake Tahoe (Blackbird Mountain Guide)

· Lizabeth Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho

· Michael Henry, 30, from Soda Springs (Blackbird Mountain Guide)

· Danielle Keatley, 44, of Soda Springs and Larkspur

· Kate Morse, 45, of Soda Springs and Tiburon

· Caroline Sekar, 45, of Soda Springs and San Francisco

· Katherine Vitt, 43, of Greenbrea

“There are no words that truly capture the significance of this loss and our hearts mourn alongside the families of those affected by this catastrophic event,” said Sheriff Shannan Moon of the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office. “The weight of this event is felt across many families, friends, and colleagues, and we stand together with them during this difficult time.”

The Sheriff’s Office thanked the countless individuals and partner agencies for the direct assistance in the rescue and recovery process for this five-day mission including:

• Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue;
• Placer County Sheriff’s Office;
• Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue;
• Washoe County Sheriff’s Office;
• Washoe County Search and Rescue;
• California’s Governor’s Office of Emergency Services;
• California Highway Patrol Air Operations;
• Care Flight Truckee;
• Sierra Avalanche Center;
• Pacific Gas & Electric;
• United States Forest Service;
• California State Parks;
• Truckee Fire;
• OpenSnow;
• Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center;
• Boreal Mountain Ski Resort;
• Truckee Tahoe Airport;
• Town of Truckee;
• Truckee Police Department;
• Truckee Donner Land Trust;
• and California National Guard.