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One killed in avalanche; two slides injure five
Avalanche warning remains
A snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche yesterday near Sparwood. Three others were taken to hospital with minor injuries in the same slide, which occurred shortly after the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) issued an avalanche warning for the Rockies, as well as the Columbia Mountains, spanning from Prince George to the Purcells in the south.
Less than 90 minutes after the 1:30 p.m. slide, another avalanche buried two people about 30 km south of Sparwood. Members of Fernieās Search and Rescue team were able to reach them and get them to hospital.
No names have yet been provided.
The CAC is still broadcasting a āSpecial Public Avalanche Warningā for recreational backcountry users in the Kootenays. The warning also includes the mountains of the South Coast Inland.
The warning is in effect today, Saturday, March 10 and Sunday, March 11.
āWe have a variety of issues within the snowpack right now that cause us two main concerns,ā explains Ilya Storm, the CACās Public Avalanche Warning Services Coordinator. āThe first is that the size of avalanches is likely to be much bigger than might be expected, and could be triggered remotely, which means triggered at a distance or from the bottom of the slope. Our other main concern is that slopes generally considered saferālower angle, below treelineāare primed for human triggering.ā
Local knowledge and a high degree of training and experience are required to travel safely in avalanche terrain this weekend, adds Storm. āKnowing the slope history is key to good decisions right now. And make sure you park in safe spotsāwell to the side of any avalanche path or far away from the runout zone. Given the size of recent avalanches, the bottom of runout zones this weekend might be father than you think.ā
The CAC is advising all recreational backcountry users to carefully monitor avalanche bulletins. Everyone in a backcountry party needs to be equipped with a shovel, probe and transceiver and the CAC strongly recommends all backcountry users take an avalanche awareness course. Snowpack stability changes constantly throughout the winter. Backcountry users need to check the avalanche bulletin regularly to keep informed of conditions in their area. More detailed information is also available on the CAC forecasterās blog. For the bulletins, blog and information on training, check www.avalanche.ca/cac.
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