A Black Hawk helicopter flew into California's Sierra Nevada mountains Saturday as rescue teams continue working to recover eight bodies from a deadly avalanche. Harsh weather conditions and avalanche risks are hampering recovery efforts for the victims who died Tuesday in the football field-sized slide.
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Recovery teams deployed a Black Hawk helicopter Saturday morning into California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, where rescue workers are battling dangerous conditions to retrieve the remains of eight people killed in this week’s devastating avalanche.
The military aircraft departed from Truckee’s airport around 10 a.m. with four crew members dressed in brown cargo uniforms aboard. Tracking data revealed the helicopter spent approximately 90 minutes circling the Frog Lake area near Castle Peak, where rescue teams discovered the eight victims on Tuesday. A ninth person remains unaccounted for and is also believed to have perished.
Severe weather conditions combined with the ongoing threat of additional avalanches have prevented recovery teams from safely accessing the site where the victims remain trapped. The deadly slide, which covered an area comparable to a football field, occurred Tuesday in the mountainous terrain.
Aviation authorities have extended a no-fly zone over the disaster site until 5 p.m. Sunday, prohibiting drones and unauthorized aircraft from entering the airspace during recovery operations.
On Friday, officials revealed they are employing water cannons to break apart unstable snow formations as part of avalanche prevention measures. This controlled technique aims to trigger potential snow slides before rescue personnel enter the hazardous zone.
Multiple agencies are coordinating the complex rescue operation, including California Highway Patrol aviation units, Nevada County Sheriff’s search and rescue teams, Tahoe Nordic search and rescue, Pacific Gas & Electric crews, and the Sierra avalanche center.
Nevada County Sheriff’s officials confirmed Saturday morning that recovery operations are still underway, with a news briefing scheduled for 1 p.m.
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