A Marin County mom was among the victims of Tuesday’s deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe, according to friends. The Nevada County Sheriff’s office hasn’t confirmed the identities of the victims, but friends told NBC Bay Area they know one of them: a mother of two from Marin County. They sa y they’re heartbroken and still trying to wrap their heads around the profound loss. Friends and neighbors say she was in the Sierra with her family for ski week. “It’s devastating I mean it’s ski week, she’s got two adorable little kids and we watch them just for the past couple of years walking back and forth from school,” Kim, a neighbor, said. “She has so much verve and zest for life and she was just a lovely neighbor.” That person was ending a three-day backcountry ski trip in the pristine and rugged terrain of Castle Peak with other moms from the North Bay, according to friends. A storm walloped the area, and a crushing avalanche was triggered killing nine and making it one of the deadliest in modern California history. “It’s just so scary, like you never think this is going to happen,” Kim said. The SF Chronicle reports most of the guests were women, and mothers of children on the ski team at nearby Sugar Bowl Resort. So far, eight bodies have been recovered while the search continues for one more. NBC Bay Area learned from the Placer County Sheriff that a spouse of one of the “Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue Team Members”, the same team responding to this heartbreaking situation, is among those dead. “So as you can understand this has not only been challenging for our community it’s been challenging rescue, but it’s also been challenging emotionally for our team and our organization,” Wayne Woo with the Placer County Sheriff Office said. California’s first lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom said on social media in part, “Gavin and I are holding the Tahoe avalanche victims, the survivors, and their loved ones close in our hearts.” She and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis went on to thank first responders for risking their lives through the night to carry out search and rescue efforts. The trip was organized by Blackbird Mountain Guides. The latest statement from the group was Wednesday night, and it read they remain fully engaged in helping on the ground as they navigate this incredibly difficult situation. In Marin County, a mom said the news is so fresh they are scrambling to figure out how they plan to support the family of their late friend. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less