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Officials say the victim’s spouse was not part of the rescue operation — but the emotional toll on the tight-knit search and rescue community is profound. “We’re all trying to support the family,” Woo said. As identities remain unconfirmed and the storm refuses to let up, the tragedy is rippling through Lake Tahoe’s ski world — from elite academies to volunteer rescuers who now find themselves grieving while still on duty. When the call for help came in, they answered.

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Victim of Deadly Avalanche Near Lake Tahoe Was Married to Search and Rescue Team Member: Officials

“This has not only been challenging for our community…but it’s also been challenging for our team and organization,” said Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo

Castle Peak Avalanche Rescue Efforts

Rescue efforts following the avalanche near Lake Tahoe.Credit : Nina Riggio/Bloomberg via Getty; Nevada County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

NEED TO KNOW

Eight skiers have died and one remains missing, but is presumed dead, following the Feb. 17 avalanche near Lake Tahoe
Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said on Feb. 18 that one of the victims was married to a volunteer member with Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue
“It’s been an emotional impact and we’re all trying to support the family,” Woo added

One of the victims of the avalanche near Lake Tahoe was married to a member of a rescue team that responded to the tragedy, according to authorities.

Speaking with reporters at a press conference, Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo said the avalanche, which took place on Tuesday, Feb. 17, had impacted the Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team personally.

“This incident has specifically struck our organization and that team hard, as one of the nine missing decedents is a spouse of one of our Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team members,” Woo said on Wednesday, Feb. 18. “This has not only been challenging for our community — it’s been a challenging rescue — but it’s also been challenging for our team and organization.”

“I think everyone has circled around to provide their love and condolences for this family,” Woo later added. “but I think it’s also motivated the team of their purpose and to go out there and rescue those that were still alive and now recover those decedents that are still out there. It’s been an emotional impact and we’re all trying to support the family.”

The sheriff’s department went on to clarify that the victim’s spouse, a volunteer Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue team member, was not involved in the search operations following the avalanche, Fox affiliate KTVU reported.

Feb. 17 Castle Peak avalanche

An avalanche near Lake Tahoe on Feb. 17, 2026, near Lake Tahoe has so far claimed eight lives.Nevada County Sheriff’s Office

On Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. local time, authorities received a 911 call about the avalanche in the Castle Peak area in the Tahoe National Forest, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at Wednesday’s press conference.

The group of 15 skiers, made up of 11 clients and four guides, was caught in the avalanche at the conclusion of a three-day backcountry skiing trip near Lake Tahoe, according to a statement from Blackbird Mountain Guides.

Initially, reports stated that nine group members were missing while six people survived. Shortly after, Moon confirmed that eight of the victims were found deceased.

Authorities are still searching for the ninth skier, who is presumed to be dead.

in a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, Feb. 19, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said that they are unable to confirm any identities until the decedents are recovered. The spokesperson added that “inclement weather remains an ongoing challenge and has hindered our ability to safely extract the victims.”

After Moon’s Wednesday press conference, The San Francisco Chronicle reported that according to a source, the victims included a group of mothers whose children were on a ski team at a nearby Sugar Bowl Resort.

The mom group trip was not affiliated with Sugar Bowl but rather part of a tradition inspired by vacations taken by their children’s fathers, the Chronicle reported.

The Sugar Bowl Academy, a ski school in Placer County affiliated with the resort, issued a statement on Wednesday, acknowledging the deaths of some of its members from the avalanche.

“Sugar Bowl Academy is focused on supporting its athletes, students, staff, and families through this tragedy. Most importantly, the Sugar Bowl Academy community will continue to be there in the months and years ahead for the families that have lost loved ones,” the statement read in part.

Stephen McMahon, Sugar Bowl Academy’s executive director, said that the tragedy has affected everyone at the school. “The depth of support for the families whose lives have been changed forever reminds us of how special this community is,” he said in a press statement. The best thing we can do is surround our athletes and families with care and support while providing the necessary space and time for grief and healing.”

 

Six people survived the avalanche, including two men and four women, whose ages range from 30 to 55, Moon said. So far, officials have said that one of the rescued individuals was a guide, while the other five were on the tour.

Two survivors were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said, noting that one of those individuals has been released from the hospital, while the other remains hospitalized.

PEOPLE contacted the Placer County Sheriff’s Office and Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue on Thursday, Feb. 19, but did not receive an immediate response.

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