“Medical for avalanche in the area of Castle Peak reported as 9 to 10 people, three buried, others attempting to dig them out,” a dispatcher is heard saying on the call that came in around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The snowslide tore through the group of 11 clients and four guides, who were backcountry skiing in California’s Sierra Nevada terrain.

Search and rescue crews were dispatched immediately but it took roughly six hours to reach the remote site.

When rescuers arrived, they found four men and two women huddled together, trying to keep warm after digging out three of their skiing companions who had already died.

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The bodies of five more skiers were later recovered, bringing the death toll to nine, including one person who had initially been listed as missing, now presumed dead.

The victims have since been identified as six moms — Carrie Atkin, Kate Morse, Danielle Keatley, Caroline Sekar, Kate Vitt and Liz Claubaugh — along with three tour guides, all employees of Blackbird Mountain Guides: Michael Henry, Andrew Alissandratos and Nicole Choo.

Their bodies were recovered Friday and Saturday after an around-the-clock search in the backcountry terrain.

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