Two snowboarders killed in avalanche near northern B.C. park
Two men from Alaska died in an avalanche Monday while snowboarding near the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park in northwestern British Columbia.
A third man survived the avalanche. His condition is unknown. All three men were friends from Haines, Alaska, and were in their early 20s according to the B.C. Coroners Service.
A statement posted by the Haines Volunteer Fire Department said the RCMP received an emergency locator SOS early Monday afternoon and organized a rescue operation and helicopter go to the scene.
"Shortly after arrival, the Canadian authorities reported they had one individual alive and in their care and sadly confirmed there were two deceased," the statement said.
"The Canadian authorities will make arrangements to transport the deceased back home to the United States."
The avalanche happened near a remote recreational area known locally as Haines Summit, located in the far northwestern part of B.C. that extends between Alaska and Yukon.
According to James Minifie, Avalanche Canada's Yukon spokesman, the avalanche risk in the area had been increasing since Christmas Eve.
"We've had a lot of snow and wind and temperatures have come up to toward zero on multiple occasions," he said. "So all these things combined have caused a spike in avalanche danger."
FIRST AVALANCHE FATALITIES OF WINTER
These are the first avalanche fatalities of this winter season in Canada. On average, avalanches claim the lives of 11 people every year in Canada, with about 80 per cent of the deaths occurring in B.C.
Avalanche danger ratings are high in many parts of B.C., but Avalanche Canada does not post a rating specifically for Haines Summit or for the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park area, because the remote location makes it difficult to collect necessary data.
Minifie said in the absence of data and an official avalanche warning, people who use the Haines Summit area for recreation are encouraged to share information on the Avalanche Canada website.
They're also advised to exercise an abundance of caution when heading into the mountains.
"Typically northerners are very good at that. But when it comes down to it, our uncertainty is very high in places where we don't have a lot of information," he said.
"When we're experiencing storm cycles and the avalanche danger is spiking, we need to really keep ourselves to conservative terrain — low angle, simple terrain — and keep our exposure to an absolute minimum."
