Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Families identified six mothers killed in California's deadliest avalanche Feb. 17.
- The victims were passionate and experienced skiers.
- Rescue efforts were paused due to weather; families are grateful for support and request privacy.
TRUCKEE, California — Families on Thursday identified six of the eight backcountry skiers killed in California's deadliest avalanche in the state's recorded history. Another skier who has yet to be found is also presumed dead.
The six known victims of the avalanche are: Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar, and Kate Vitt.
"We are devastated beyond words," a statement from the families said. "Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women. They were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors."
The statement said the women were "passionate, skilled skiers who cherished time together in the mountains."
They lived in the San Francisco Bay area, Idaho and the Truckee-Tahoe region.
Vitt was a streaming music executive with more than a decade of experience in the industry. Most recently, she worked at SiriusXM in San Francisco, where she served as a vice president of product operations and customer success. Affiliate KTVU confirmed she left the company in 2025.
Before that, Vitt's LinkedIn profile shows she worked at Pandora for more than eight years.
She graduated from Boston College in 2004 with a degree in English, affiliate WCVB confirmed.
Sekar and Clabaugh were sisters, family members told The New York Times.
Sekar, 45, lived in San Francisco with her husband and two children, a neighbor told the San Francisco Chronicle. Jen Wofford said Sekar was "the sunshine" of the block who was positive and always smiled.
Clabaugh, 52, lived in Boise. Her LinkedIn profile shows she was a clinical educator and coordinator at St. Luke's Health System.
Carrie Atkin was a former corporate executive and Division I athlete.
She had a BA in Applied Mathematics with Economics from Harvard University.
Atkin lived in Lake Tahoe with her husband and two children.
Danielle Keatley was from Marin County. She and her husband founded Keatley Wines in Healdsburg.
Keatley grew up in Connecticut before spending several years in Provence, France. She attended the University of Virginia before moving to San Francisco.
Kate Morse was from Marin County. She joined biotech firm Septerna in 2025 as the vice president of commercial strategy.
"Kate was a devoted wife and mother who proudly brought her children to the office, serving as a truly caring and powerful example to our teams, " said Jeff Finer, CEO and Co-founder of Septerna, in a statement on LinkedIn.
"Kate's absence has been deeply felt these past few days as we attempt to grapple with the unimaginable reality of losing her," Finer said. "We will continue to miss her presence, and our hearts will keep Kate's memory and family close in the time ahead."
Timeline of the ski trip and rescue operation
The group of 15 skiers had embarked upon a three-day excursion over Presidents Day weekend. They arrived to stay at the Frog Lake huts near Castle Peak on Feb. 15, according to Blackbird Mountain Guides.
The group was wrapping up their mountain adventure when an avalanche swept them away about 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 17. Despite learning about the snow slide shortly after it happened, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office said fierce blizzard conditions made accessing the avalanche scene difficult to reach.
Search and rescue crews, comprising volunteers and multiple agencies, arrived at the site at 5:30 p.m. Once they got there, they took a snowcat for 2 miles before skiing the rest of the way to avoid the risk of another avalanche.
What they found was an employee with Blackbird Mountain Guides and five clients, the only survivors. Three other guides and six clients died following the avalanche.
On Thursday, the sheriff's office said it paused efforts to recover the bodies amid hazardous weather conditions. Until the bodies are pulled from the mountain, officials will not be able to identify those killed.
The statement from the families of the victims said there were eight skiers on the trip together, and all were close friends.
"They were experienced backcountry skiers who deeply respected the mountains," the statement said. "They were trained and prepared for backcountry travel and trusted their professional guides on this trip. They were fully equipped with avalanche safety equipment."
The families said they were "profoundly grateful for the extensive rescue efforts by Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue and all of the authorities involved, and for the outpouring of support from the Tahoe community and beyond."
"We are heartbroken and are doing our best to care for one another and our families in the way we know these women would have wanted," the statement said. "We are asking for privacy and space as our families grieve this sudden and profound loss."
This avalanche occurred roughly 1 mile from another deadly avalanche that happened in January, which buried a snowmobiler. Since 1950, California has experienced 57 fatal avalanches.
