Two skiers killed in separate avalanches in Alberta mountains
Two people have tragically lost their lives in separate avalanche incidents in Alberta’s backcountry this week.
Reports from Alberta RCMP indicated that they were called to respond to an avalanche near the Lake Louise ski resort at approximately 3:45 p.m. on March 14.
Following the incident, one individual was reported as “unaccounted for” as confirmed by the RCMP.
Stuart Brideaux of Alberta Health Services EMS conveyed in an email to The Epoch Times that one person had unfortunately passed away in the avalanche.
“Alpine helicopters retrieved a patient from the avalanche site down to awaiting ground EMS crews,” Brideaux stated. “Paramedic teams unfortunately had to declare the adult patient deceased on scene and did not proceed with transportation to a hospital.”
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During the afternoon, one of the skiers triggered an avalanche around 3 p.m., where he was swept approximately 50 meters and buried under 150–200 centimeters (1.5 to 2 meters) of snow.
The second skier managed to rescue him from the snow and immediately began administering first aid.
Authorities urged the public to cooperate with first responders and resort personnel, requesting patience while efforts were underway to locate and assist anyone requiring help.
Following the initial incident, RCMP received another call regarding a second avalanche in Kananaskis Country around 4 p.m.
This second avalanche occurred in a remote area off highway 742 near Mount Black Prince, as stated by RCMP.
Law enforcement investigations revealed that four individuals were skiing when the avalanche occurred.
One 34-year-old woman from Calgary in the group was carried away from the others and trapped in the snow.
Despite efforts from the other three skiers to provide medical care, the woman was sadly pronounced deceased by first responders.
RCMP expressed their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
Avalanche Warnings Issued
They highlighted the formation of weak layers in the upper snowpack due to dry periods in January and February, with depths ranging from 30 to 100 centimeters (0.3 to 1 meter). A solid snow slab had formed above these layers, creating hazardous conditions capable of triggering avalanches, according to the organization.
On February 17, a heartbreaking incident occurred near Golden, B.C., where two men were reported missing, as per RCMP. One of the men returned and disclosed that the other had perished in an avalanche.
Search and rescue teams recovered the body of a 42-year-old man from Golden, found buried over a meter deep in snow.
The Canadian Press and Jennifer Cowan contributed to this article.
