Explosives, choppers aid in daunting effort to recover bodies from avalanche scene
USA TODAY
Helicopters flew over the avalanche site to assess the avalanche danger and the snowpack. Later, they began setting off explosives to trigger small snow slides.
Crews have resumed their efforts to recover the victims of the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since 1981.
On Friday, Feb. 20, they flew over the site of the disaster in helicopters to assess the avalanche danger and the depth of the snowpack. Later, they began setting off explosives to trigger small snow slides to prevent another catastrophic avalanche from striking, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office announced.
"These proactive measures are designed to reduce the risk of naturally occurring avalanches and enhance first responder safety within the affected area, so they may recover victims with lower risk," the sheriff's office said.
Since the avalanche on Feb. 17, the bodies of the victims have remained at the site of the disaster because of dangerous and challenging weather conditions, including further avalanche risk. Eight people were killed and a ninth person is presumed dead. There were six survivors of the avalanche, which struck near Castle Peak, just northwest of Lake Tahoe in California's Sierra Nevada.
Authorities closed the Castle Peak area to the public through March 15 because of the danger.
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