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2 clusters · 11 sources · 14 days · First seen 21 days ago · Last updated 7 days ago

Lake Tahoe avalanche investigation and penalties

Overview

In February 2024, an avalanche near Castle Peak in the Lake Tahoe region struck a 15-person backcountry skiing group affiliated with Blackbird Mountain Guides. The incident buried the group under five to six feet of snow, resulting in the deaths of nine individuals—three guides and six clients—all of whom died from suffocation, according to the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

Following the incident, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued $151,300 in fines against Blackbird Mountain Guides for seven violations. The largest penalty, $81,000, was attributed to the company’s failure to correct an imminent hazard by traveling in avalanche terrain despite high danger ratings. Other cited failures included inadequate employee training, poor hazard assessment, and issues with injury prevention programs and fatality reporting.

Blackbird Mountain Guides has filed a formal appeal, maintaining that they operated in full compliance with regulatory requirements. Meanwhile, the Cal/OSHA Bureau of Investigations is reviewing the deaths for potential criminal charges, and the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department has forwarded its findings to the district attorney’s office.

Entities

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office · Blackbird Mountain Guides · Castle Peak · Lake Tahoe · Sierra Avalanche Center

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 4 SOURCES] Cal/OSHA issued $151,300 in fines against Blackbird Mountain Guides. offthepress.com · sfist.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 4 SOURCES] The company failed to correct an imminent hazard by traveling in avalanche terrain when danger was rated high. offthepress.com · sfist.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 4 SOURCES] The February 17 avalanche near Castle Peak killed nine people, including six clients and three guides. offthepress.com · sfist.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 3 SOURCES] Blackbird Mountain Guides has filed a formal appeal against the fines. sfist.com · wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] The company failed to provide effective employee training. offthepress.com · sfist.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The Nevada County Sheriff’s Department forwarded its criminal investigation results to the district attorney’s office. wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
[● 2 SOURCES] An investigation by Cal/OSHA’s Bureau of Investigations into possible criminal charges is ongoing. wtop.com · www.independent.co.uk
[○ 1 SOURCE] The company failed to report three employee fatalities within the required timeframe. offthepress.com

Timeline

7 days ago

[CRIME] 11 sources
Blackbird Mountain Guides fined $151,000 after deadly Tahoe avalanche
Blackbird Mountain Guides faces $151,300 in Cal/OSHA fines following a February avalanche near Castle Peak that killed nine people. The company is appealing the citations.
21 days ago

[SPORTS] 4 sources
Lake Tahoe Avalanche Deaths Confirmed as Suffocation for All Nine Skiers
A Feb. 17 avalanche near Lake Tahoe’s Castle Peak killed nine skiers from Blackbird Mountain Guides; all died of suffocation, investigation closed, five survived.

Sources

abc7news.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · elveedordigital.com · independent.co.uk · mymotherlode.com · offthepress.com · planetski.eu · sfist.com · singtaousa.com · tetongravity.com · wtop.com