Start Here Police: Nine Dead in Avalanche
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Feb 19, 2026 Trevor Ault, ABC News correspondent in the Sierra Nevadas, reports on a guided backcountry avalanche and the fraught rescue. Miriam Khan, supervising producer for global affairs, breaks down the new Board of Peace and global reactions. Elizabeth Schulze, ABC reporter on AI data centers, explores local impacts from noise to power fights. Short, urgent dispatches on disaster, diplomacy, and tech-driven community change.
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Deadly Backcountry Avalanche Account
- Trevor Ault described a guided backcountry ski trip of 15 people hit by a large avalanche near Lake Tahoe.
- Six survived, three were dug up dead by survivors, and the search shifted from rescue to recovery within a day.
Avalanche Survival Window
- Survival chances after avalanches plummet quickly without rapid rescue.
- Being pulled out within 15 minutes yields survival above 90%, but after a few hours it drops nearly to zero.
Avoid Known Avalanche Conditions
- Heed avalanche warnings and question risky guided trips in known danger.
- Investigators are reviewing the guides' decision factors amid heavy warnings and resort closures.