Avalanche Survivors Saved 3 Lives, Then Made Difficult Decision to Leave 9 Behind: ‘We Were All in Danger’

“I honestly tried my best,” said survivor Anton Auzans

Rescue teams responding to the deadly avalanche in California on Feb. 17. Credit :

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

NEED TO KNOW

Two survivors of the deadly avalanche in California last month spoke out about their attempts to rescue fellow skiers
One man recalled clawing his way through the snow and hearing a deadly silence
In total, nine people died, making it the deadliest slide in the state’s modern history

Two men who survived the avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California last month, which killed nine members of their group, are speaking out about the harrowing experience — and how they did what they could to save as many lives as possible.

“I honestly tried my best,” Anton Auzans, a 37-year-old electrician, told The New York Times following the deadliest avalanche in the state’s modern history on Tuesday, Feb. 17. “I helped to save three people.”

On Sunday, Feb. 15, a group of 11 skiers and four guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides began a trip that was set to last three days in the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada mountains, according to a previous statement from the company.

On the last day of the trip, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 11:30 a.m. local time, the deadly slide struck amidst avalanche warnings. In total, six skiers and three guides died, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

The dangerous weather conditions prevented rescue teams from recovering the bodies of the victims until days later, on Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. Six of the dead were part of a friend group of moms and wives, PEOPLE previously reported.

Now, as officials investigate the incident for possible criminal negligence, two of the men who survived the slide — Auzans and Jim Hamilton, a 65-year-old software engineer — share the horror they experienced.

In interviews with the Times, the skiers recounted their initial excitement about joining the group of backcountry skiers.

When Hamilton signed up, one spot was still available. “Wow,” he recalled thinking to himself, according to the paper, “it’s meant to be.”

Related Stories

Backcountry Ski Guide Who Was Once Caught in an Avalanche Sheds Light on Lake Tahoe Tragedy

How the 6 Survivors of Deadly Tahoe Avalanche Managed to Stay Alive for Hours amid ‘Horrific’ Conditions

The National Weather Service warned of heavy snow in the region from Sunday, Feb. 15, until Wednesday, Feb. 18, while the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an advisory of “HIGH avalanche danger” on Tuesday, Feb. 17, according to previous posts by the sheriff’s office.

However, Hamilton told the Times that the Blackbird Mountain Guides, who had years of experience, urged him not to worry about the incoming storm because they knew how to navigate to safe terrain.

On the last day of the trip, the guides met privately to plan the journey, just as they had the two previous days, the Times reported. They told the skiers they had to skip a planned ski lap and leave the area before conditions became even more dangerous.

“ ‘We have to get out of here now,’ ” Auzans said the guides told the group, according to the paper.

The leaders determined that the skiers would return the way they came, but avoid the more dangerous area of Frog Lake Notch by traversing around the back side of Perry’s Peak.

In a statement, Blackbird Mountain Guides said “It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but investigations are underway,” according to the newspaper, noting that “guides in the field are in communication with senior guides at our base, to discuss conditions and routing based upon conditions.”

The company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

First responders navigated dangerous conditions following the Feb. 17 avalanche.

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office

When the group reached the final long downward journey to their vehicles, they felt safe, according to the Times. A guide led the group of women ahead, with Auzans and the other male skier behind them. Hamilton was delayed but was eventually able to secure his ski boot and tried to catch up with the main group, along with the guide who had waited for him

Then disaster struck.

All Auzans remembered hearing was a single word: “Avalanche!” When he looked up, the rest of his group had been buried by the snow, which went on to swallow him up as well.

Thinking of his 3-year-old son, he found the burst of energy needed to push through the snow, but according to the Times, he was the only one around.

When Hamilton and the guide arrived through the trees, they began looking for the other skiers who were still buried as Auzans continued to dig himself out, according to the Times.

They located the third male client in the group, who told them to help others. Then, they found two women moaning, indicating they were breathing.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

About 30 minutes later, the survivors finally uncovered the faces of a male guide and a female skier, but both seemed lifeless.

With the threat of another avalanche looming over them, the living made the difficult decision to get out of the area to a more secure location with the others they had managed to save.

“We were all in danger. We did as much as we could. We pushed until we started finding people that were deceased,” Auzans told the paper.

“Making the decision to stop the search was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” he continued, but added, “We had to save the people we knew were alive.”

Auzans and Hamilton did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.