Canmore man killed in Kananaskis avalanche identified

Black Prince Day Use Area

Police have identified the man killed in an avalanche on the weekend as 34-year-old Benjamin John Thackeray of Canmore and say he was a member of Nakiska’s ski patrol.

Thackeray was skiing with friends in the backcountry near Mount Black Prince in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on Saturday afternoon when they were hit by the slide.

Two members of the group managed to hike to safety and call for help and the remaining three people were airlifted off the mountain and taken to a staging area.

Thackeray succumbed to injuries he sustained in the avalanche and was pronounced dead when he arrived at the staging area.

Police say he was an avid and experienced backcountry skier and worked ski patrol at Nakiska Ski Resort in the winter and operated a rafting tour company in the summer months.

They say the group was well equipped to mitigate an avalanche.