A snowmobiler is dead after being buried by an avalanche near Fernie in southeastern British Columbia. A report from Avalanche Canada says two snowmobilers were riding in the Matheson Creek snowmobile area about 11 kilometres southeast of the community on Tuesday when one of them triggered an avalanche while climbing a slope. The report says the person was fully buried by the avalanche and did not survive. “Front-line officers along with Fernie Search and Rescue responded, but due to the time of day and the fact that the area was identified as a high-hazard avalanche area, immediate efforts could not be made to locate the man,” Elk Valley RCMP said in a statement on Thursday. Police say the victim’s remains were recovered on Feb. 18. Authorities say he was wearing “weather- and activity-appropriate gear” as well as avalanche safety equipment. The report says no one else was injured. It says the avalanche began in “recent storm snow and stepped down to a buried weak layer.” The avalanche measured about 170 metres wide by 200 metres long, according to the report. A spokesperson for Avalanche Canada said the danger was ranked high when the avalanche took place—the fourth out of five rankings where natural avalanches are likely and human-triggered avalanches are very likely. “Recreational activities, whether it’s mountain biking, dirt biking, snowmobiling, it’s a huge part of the recreational culture in this town, so we can all understand and resonate with the loss and the risk,” said Const. Mike Wilson with Elk Valley RCMP. “It’s a significant loss for our community.” RCMP have not released the name of the victim. First responders were alerted to the avalanche by an emergency activation device notification Tuesday afternoon. Simon Piney, head of Fernie Search and Rescue, says the incident was their first avalanche mission they’ve responded to this winter. “The outcomes of incidents like these in small communities can be felt far and wide,” said Piney. The avalanche danger slightly decreased to considerable on Thursday. “What’s driving that avalanche danger rating is a combination of recent new snow falling on a complex and weak upper snowpack,” said Tyson Rettie, a forecaster with Avalanche Canada. “We expect that we will see that considerable danger rating persist.” While the fresh snow is enticing for many, search-and-rescue groups are urging caution when venturing into the backcountry. “We are here to help—that’s our role—but the best thing for us is to get no calls at all, so we really encourage people to pay attention to the risks that are out there and be prepared for any eventuality,” said Piney. Piney says survival under the snow is about 90 per cent for the first 15 minutes but diminishes 50 per cent every 15 minutes after. “The three tools you need are a transceiver, a probe and a shovel,” said Piney. “Of course, anyone can go down to the store and buy those things, but you also need to know how to use them. That time frame of 15 minutes becomes very short by the time you’ve got your shovel out, assembled your probe and switched your transceiver to search.” Piney says knowing how to use the tools in the event of an emergency can make the biggest difference. “The most likely positive outcome is going to occur from what we call companion rescue,” said Piney. “That is to say, the people that are on scene perform the rescue themselves, and the vast majority of responses that Fernie Search and Rescue responds to for avalanche incidents are helping people that have been injured in avalanches but have been rescued by their partner.” There have been two fatal avalanches this winter, according to Avalanche Canada. “Statistically, the deadliest month for avalanches in Canada is March,” said Rettie. “March can be quite complex because at that point we have a deep enough snowpack that, generally, all of the mountainous terrain is above the threshold for avalanches.”
