Four heli-skiers and their guide had to be rescued after an avalanche buried them near Pemberton, B.C., north of Whistler on Monday, according to RCMP.
Whistler RCMP said they first received reports of an avalanche at 11:30 a.m. PT in the Ipsoot Mountain area, in a backcountry ski area called “The Meadow.”
Police say that a group in the area from Whistler Heli-Skiing faced a human-triggered avalanche, and four of them were fully buried and one was partially buried.
RCMP Const. Antoine Graebling says the avalanche was size 2.5 (on a 1-5 scale), which Avalanche Canada classifies as being large enough to bury or kill a person. By way of comparison, size 3 could destroy a car and size 5 bury a village,
Graebling says the group of heli-skiers was lucky that there was another group nearby, which swung into action and rescued them from the snow.
“They were able to respond almost immediately as they witnessed the avalanche getting triggered and going down the slope,” he told CBC News. “So the first rescue efforts were immediate.
“The avalanche was reported to have happened at about 11:30 a.m., and we were notified that at 11:32 a.m., rescue efforts were already on the way shortly after.”
Const. Antoine Graebling with the Whistler RCMP says that four people were buried, and another partially buried, in a large human-triggered avalanche on Ipsoot Mountain north of the ski resort.
Graebling said that the rescued skiers were all in stable condition, but he warned skiers and backcountry users to be aware of the conditions as the holidays are in full swing.
The constable said that Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol and search-and-rescue officials were on scene, and there was no evidence to suggest negligence on the part of Whistler Heli-Skiing.
“It is quite a powerful avalanche, but the snowpack is fairly light in terms of density at the moment,” he said.
“So despite quite a large size of it, the group in question was lucky to be facing very almost light and fluffy snow instead of that … heavy, kind of cement-like almost snow.”
After two weeks of bad weather and the promise of La Niña, skiers on Vancouver Island are getting ready for snow. CBC’s Claire Palmer reports Avalanche Canada will start releasing seasonal reports next week.
Conditions can change dramatically in the backcountry, the constable warned and asked anyone planning a trip to be prepared and check avalanche forecasts before they head out.
Avalanche Canada says there’s “considerable” avalanche risk on Metro Vancouver’s North Shore mountains in the alpine areas over the next few days.
Eric Dumerac of Mountain Skills Academy and Adventure and Monte Johnston of Black Sheep Adventure Sports offer up advice on equipment and training to stay safe in B.C.’s backcountry during the winter season.
It comes as a series of storms is set to bring precipitation to the South Coast, prompting wind warnings and special weather statements.
B.C. Premier David Eby thanked rescuers in a tweet after the avalanche, calling it “an incredible rescue.” CBC News has reached out to Whistler Heli-Skiing for this story.
