Nine skiers overcome by backcountry avalanche in U.S.

(New York Times) The bodies of eight of the nine skiers overcome by an avalanche on Tuesday near Lake Tahoe have been found, Nevada County officials said in a news conference on Wednesday. One member of the group remains missing and presumed dead, in what is already the deadliest avalanche in modern California history.

The skiers had been part of a group of 15, including four guides, on a three-day backcountry expedition in a rugged but popular recreational area near Castle Peak. Six others from their group were able to use a combination of emergency beacons and iPhone S.O.S. functions to contact rescuers, who braved treacherous conditions to reach them late Tuesday night.

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