Alberta skier dies in avalanche near Rossland, B.C., Monday
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 | 7:40 am
Canwest News Service
An Alberta man has died in an avalanche while skiing with three other back-country enthusiasts in the Mt. Mackie area near Rossland, B.C.
Trail RCMP say the group were on a non-commercial ski outing when the avalanche struck.
Three other men from Alberta and B.C. escaped the slide around 3:30 p.m. Monday afternoon, but one man was buried.
Recovery efforts were suspended until Tuesday morning due to dangerous conditions on the mountains, and the road has been closed to restrict access.
"The three remaining skiers were able to get out of the area and sought refuge at a base cabin," said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
A local Snow Cat operator spotted the group and returned to the slide area, finding the victim and confirming he had died in the avalanche.
The ski outfitter "was forced to leave immediately due to the dangerous conditions and was unable to remove the deceased," said Moskaluk.
Trail RCMP and Rossland search and rescue also tried to enter the area but had to suspend the effort due to unstable snow conditions, he said.
The man's identity has not been released.
Three-quarters of the 26 people who died in avalanches in Canada in the winter of 2008/2009 were snowmobilers.
The Canadian Avalanche Centre had issued a bulletin for the Kootenay Boundary district suggesting back-country enthusiasts take extra caution and be trained to deal with avalanches.
Moskaluk said the four involved in the latest fatality, the first of 2010, were experienced and had proper equipment
Be safe everyone........stay out of the complex and challenging terrain for a while.
RS
