A former SiriusXM executive is among eight people who were killed in an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in Northern California earlier this week.
Kate Vitt worked as the Vice President of Product Operations for SiriusXM, joining the company about two years after its purchase of Pandora, where she worked for nearly nine years. She left the company last year, according to a family source. SiriusXM did not respond to a request for comment.
Vitt, who lived in Marin County, was vacationing in the resort town of Truckee when an avalanche struck on Tuesday, according to local media reports. Eight skiers were confirmed dead, and a ninth skier remains missing.
Police and rescuers have only identified six people as of Friday morning.
“We are devastated beyond words,” a statement released by the families of the deceased 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.”
Most of the victims lived in the Northern California area, though a few were visiting the state from Idaho, the families confirmed.
The avalanche struck during a rare winter storm that brought significant precipitation to Northern California, including rain throughout the Sacramento valley and San Francisco Bay Area and a staggering amount of snow in the Sierra Nevada.
With eight confirmed fatalities, the avalanche is the deadliest in California history.
