Wednesday afternoon, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference with several agencies involved with rescue and recovery efforts relating to the avalanche near Donner Summit. The press conference infilled some outstanding details relating to the accident and the subsequent search and rescue mission into the Frog Lake area adjacent to Castle Peak. The peak, a popular backcountry zone, sits just north of I-80 on Donner Summit. While Frog Lake lies a bit northeast of the peak.
Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon stated that the original manifest for the trip listed 16 total tourers. However, shortly before the trip, one person backed out. Moon went on to state that of the six individuals rescued, one was a guide, while the remaining five were clients. Of the nine total individuals taken by the avalanche, eight have been located and confirmed deceased, while a ninth remains unlocated.
