B.C.: 2 dead in avalanche near Golden

Two people out of a group of six died in an avalanche near Golden in British Columbia, Avalanche Canada stated on Thursday.

B.C. Emergency Health Services stated that it received a call before noon on Thursday, after which four ambulances arrived at the site southwest of the Kicking Horse Ski Hill and took one person in stable condition to the hospital.

Five snowboarders and one skier were in southeastern B.C.’s Purcell Mountains known as Terminator 2.5 when the avalanche occurred. Four of the members of the group were involved in the incident. Out of the four, three were buried under the snow in the avalanche, Avalanche Canada added.

Out of the three, one was partially buried and was consequently extracted. The other two, however, were completely buried and did not survive the avalanche, the public avalanche safety organization detailed further.

There was also a second group of snowboarders who were not injured due to the avalanche as they were lower on the track when the avalanche hit.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that two people were killed in an avalanche accident in the Purcells today. The snowpack in the interior is still incredibly complex and difficult to manage,” Avalanche Canada tweeted.

2/3 avalanche occurs. They're most likely to be triggered on steep and rocky slopes where the snow cover is thin or variable. Choosing low-risk terrain and maintaining good travel habits, including having one person on a slope at a time and avoiding slopes where other groups…

— Avalanche Canada (@avalancheca) February 17, 2023

“Deep persistent slab problems may exhibit no signs of instability before a large avalanche occurs. They’re most likely to be triggered on steep and rocky slopes where the snow cover is thin or variable. Choosing low-risk terrain and maintaining good travel habits, including having one person on a slope at a time and avoiding slopes where other groups are riding, is especially important with a dangerous snowpack, ” the series of tweets further read.