THE devastated families of six “supermoms” killed in a California avalanche have broken their silence with heart-breaking tributes.
Carrie Atkin, Kate Morse, Danielle Keatley, Caroline Sekar, Kate Vitt and Liz Claubaugh were skiing in the on Tuesday.
‘Supermum’ Carrie Atkin, one of the women killed in the avalanche, holding her childCredit: Facebook
Kate Vitt and her husbandCredit: Facebook
Emergency responders working thropugh the snow rescue skiers after the avalancheCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
They were part of a group of 11 and four tour guides who disappeared after a wall of snow crashed down the mountainside near Lake Tahoe.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, their families said they have been left “devastated beyond words” by their loss.
“Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women,” the statement said.
Adding: “They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors.
“They were passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains.”
All six women lived in the Bay Area, Idaho, and the Truckee–Tahoe region, according to the statement.
Heartwrenching tributes online from friends referred to the women as a group of “supermoms.”
Two other skiers in the group perished and one remains missing but is presumed dead.
Six of the skiers on the trip – five women and one man – were rescued.
The tragedy has become the most in the US since 1981, when 11 mountain climbers were killed on Mount Rainier in Washington.
The grieving families said the women were “trained and prepared” for backcountry travel and “trusted their professional guides”.
They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment.
The statement concluded: “We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted.”
The avalanche near Truckee, California, northwest of Lake Tahoe, was reported at around 11:30am by a mountain guide service and an emergency beacon device.
It took place at an elevation of 8,200 feet near Castle Peak and was rated D2.5, meaning it is capable of burying a person.
The surviving skiers made contact with an emergency satellite messaging service immediately after the snow fell.
But they were forced to take shelter in a nearby wooded area under a tarp for 12 hours before they were rescued.
Efforts were made more difficult by a winter squall that’s been battering the West Coast and bringing dozens of inches of snow.
Two of the rescued skiers were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Blackbird Mountain Guides, which coordinated the trip, has faced intense scrutiny for moving forward with the excursion despite the forecast.
In a statement shared on Wednesday morning, Blackbird Mountain Guides insisted it was helping with the search efforts.
The Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, near where the avalanche occurred saw 30 inches of snow on the day of the incident, with three to four inches reported an hour in some areas.
An avalanche warning was in place, with slides powerful enough to bury a house possible.
Blackbird Mountain Guides said the group was in the process of returning to the trailhead when the snow came crashing down.
The group had reportedly been staying at Frog Lake Backcountry Huts since Sunday.
Liz Clabaugh, another victim of the avalanche, with a friendCredit: Facebook
Avalanche victim Caroline SekarCredit: Facebook
A vehicle buried in snow during following Tuesdays avalancheCredit: AP
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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