All 9 bodies of California avalanche victims recovered

The bodies of all nine people who died in a deadly avalanche in U.S. Northern California earlier this week have been recovered, authorities said on Saturday.



Officials confirmed that four bodies were recovered Friday and five others on Saturday morning. All the bodies were hoisted out by helicopters.



The avalanche struck at approximately 11:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday in the remote Castle Peak area in Nevada County.



A group of 15 people, including 11 clients and four guides from Blackbird Mountain Guides, a professional backcountry tour company, was returning to the trailhead at the conclusion of a three-day guided ski trip when the accident occurred, the company said in a statement.



Only six in the group survived the avalanche, the deadliest avalanche in the country in more than four decades. The survivors were rescued Tuesday evening after search and rescue teams navigated blizzard conditions for several hours. Eight of the skiers were confirmed dead on Wednesday, with the ninth missing and presumed dead until Saturday.