California
California climbers buried in avalanche at 12,000 feet carried to safety after daring 11-hour rescue
A pair of thrill-seeking climbers were buried in a massive avalanche on a California mountain over the weekend — and it took 11 hours to get them both down to safety, authorities said.
The two adventure seekers were trying to summit Mount Shasta on Saturday when they found themselves in the path of a wave of snow, which sent one of them plummeting 1,000 feet down the side of the mountain — aptly known as Avalanche Gulch, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
The sheriff’s office received a 911 call from one of the injured climbers shortly before 12:30 p.m., saying he was hurt and stranded at 12,200 feet, while his buddy lay buried further down the slope.
That’s when the rescue operation hit a snag.
“Strong winds and poor visibility inhibited the helicopter’s ability to safely land near the climbers, so the SCSO Search and Rescue Team mobilized, along with US [Forest Service] Climbing Rangers and a group of professional mountain guide volunteers to begin an extraction operation on foot,” the office said.
A break in the weather allowed the chopper to eventually managed to land just above the tree line — about 6,000 feet below the injured climbers. Rescuers climbed into the night on foot and were able to carry the two men down the mountain and onto the chopper around midnight.
Both men, described as expert mountaineers who sought to snowboard down from the summit, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were recovering at an area hospital.
One climber suffered a knee injury and the other, who was hurled down the mountain by the avalanche, suffered a broken femur and a “deep crampon puncture wound,” officials said.
The sheriff’s office said the heart-pounding rescue should serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers and unpredictable conditions on the 13,000-foot peak.
“It is worth noting that the two climbers caught in the April 27 avalanche were highly skilled mountaineers with extensive experience on Mount Shasta,” the department said.
“Their ordeal and the 11-hour rescue process that followed are reminders that no amount of experience makes one immune to the hazards encountered on Mount Shasta, and that ever-changing mountain conditions can turn a rapid-extraction operations into a time and resource-intensive process.”
Police did not release the names of the two injured climbers.
CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KERO) — A 12-year-old boy is dead and another child was hospitalized after two unleashed dogs attacked a group of children at Central Park in California City on Friday, June 18.
California City Mayor Edwin Hawkins said police responded to the scene after reports that four children had been mauled.
Fernando Torres Moreno, 12, jumped into a nearby lake to escape the charging dogs. Officers pulled Fernando from the water, and he was taken to the hospital, where he died the next day.
A second child suffered serious, though non-life-threatening, dog bite wounds and has since been released from the hospital. Two additional children were shaken but did not require medical treatment.
Authorities say the dogs, both mixed breed, were off-leash but in the presence of their owner when the attack unfolded.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. No arrests have been made.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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California’s high school baseball season may be over, but that means football season is on the horizon.
In just a matter of weeks, California’s top programs will return to the field looking to make their mark in one of the nation’s most competitive high school football landscapes.
The 2025 season delivered plenty of memorable moments, from Santa Margarita’s CIF Open Division State Championship Bowl Game title and a No. 3 spot in USA TODAY Sports’ Super 25 football rankings to major offseason roster moves. Now, a new stage is set as teams look to earn their way to the top stages in high school football.
When do teams return to action for the 2026 season? Here are all the dates to know:
California high school football season start dates: CIF
First practice date: July 27, 2026
Date of first games: Aug. 21, 2026
High school football practices for teams competing within the CIF in “Week 0” games get underway on July 27, 2026, with the date of the first games set for Aug. 21. Teams who have a bye in their schedule will play on this timeline.
Teams that do not have a bye in their schedule, and therefore do not have a “Week 0” game, will kick off on Aug. 28 with their first practice date set for Aug. 3.
The body of singer Oliver Tree was back in California this weekend after he was listed as a passenger on a helicopter that crashed above Rio de Janeiro one week ago.
His social media accounts on Sunday afternoon announced the return of his body after the June 14 collision of two helicopters, which killed all six people on board.
“Oliver is now back in California where he can finally rest,” the post said.
According to The Associated Press, police identified the five other people as Gaspar Prim Díaz, a popular Argentine YouTuber known as Gaspi; another Argentine, Lucas Vignale; and Brazilians Lucas Brito, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza.
The cause of the collision was under investigation. The AP reported last week that authorities were investigating the possibility of human error by a pilot or air traffic controllers.
Tree, 32, had been performing in South America as part of a world tour. He had a show scheduled for June 6 in São Paulo, according to a schedule on his Facebook page.
The post Sunday thanked fans and supporters for an outpouring of devotion to the memory of the quirky and uplifting artist.
“The constant love, support and positivity is helping the family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times,” it said.
Tree, whose real name was Oliver Tree Nickell, was from Santa Cruz. His father, Jesse Nickell, said he learned of his son’s death from a producer working on music with him in Brazil.
“Peace be with Oliver,” he said by text last week.
Tree was recognizable for his bright fashion, mullet haircut with prominent bangs, thin mustache and encouraging outlook. A motto on his Instagram account says, “No matter how strange you think you look, no matter how ugly you feel, you are beautiful.”
Tree also worked with marquee names in pop and electronic dance music. His biggest tracks were “Life Goes On,” which peaked at 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022, and “Miss You,” with German musician Robin Schulz, which peaked at 84 on the chart the same year.
Tree’s influence spread beyond chart data, however, and tributes poured in far and wide following last week’s news that he was on the passenger list of one of the aircraft.
The post on his social media accounts said he had been working on an endowment that would produce a grant and that the plan would be moving forward.
“‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the post said. “We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish.”
Speaking on the “Zack Sang Show” on YouTube in April, Tree discussed the grant and said his music was likely to be more valued after he died.
“That’s when people appreciate you, when you’re not there anymore,” he said.
The Instagram statement offered some assurance.
“Your legacy will live on forever,” it said.
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