Six victims of California avalanche identified as part of close-knit friend group

Avalanche in Sierra Nevada killed at least eight people, including six who frequently went on ski trips together

Six of the eight people who died after a major avalanche swept through the Castle Peak area of the Sierra Nevada this week have been identified, according to multiple reports.

The identified victims - Carrie Atkin, Liz Clabaugh, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, Caroline Sekar and Kate Vitt - were part of a close-knit group who frequently went on ski trips together, a spokesperson for the families told the San Francisco Chronicle. The women and their families cherished time together in the mountains", the spokesperson said.