RACE AGAINST TIME

9 Skiers Missing After Backcountry Avalanche

Six people have already been rescued.

Nine skiers are still missing following an avalanche in northern California. Six people from a group of 15 have been rescued amid a blistering winter storm that dumped freezing rain on the state and snow on its peaks on Tuesday. Responders were called to Frog Lake near Castle Peak, northwest of Lake Tahoe, and worked for hours to locate and rescue the initial six using skis and snowcats. Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Facebook that the group was brought off the mountain by Truckee Fire and were found to have suffered “varying injuries,” with two taken to the hospital for treatment. Steve Reynaud of the Sierra Avalanche Center said the group was on its final day of a backcountry skiing trip, the Associated Press reported. According to NBC News, Captain Russell Greene of the sheriff’s department said a mountain guide had called 911 at around 11:30 a.m., and as of that evening, 46 responders had been dispatched.