An autopsy has confirmed that hypothermia killed Marie-Josee Fortin, a skier who spent more than one week stranded with her husband in rugged wilderness near Golden, B.C.

Fortin, 44, died several days after she and her husband became lost in the backcountry near Kicking Horse ski resort earlier this month.

Her husband, 50-year-old Gilles Blackburn, was rescued on Tuesday after spending 10 days in the wilderness.

It is believed that Fortin died two days before the rescue.

The RCMP admitted this week that they were in error for not launching a rescue mission earlier, despite being told of SOS symbols which were found in the area.

On Feb. 15, Blackburn and Fortin found themselves lost after going out of bounds while backcountry skiing.

Two days later, a ski guide spotted an SOS signal that the couple had marked in the snow.

The Golden and District Search and Rescue team and Kicking Horse resort were alerted.

But a search of the resort parking lots for abandoned vehicles turned up nothing.

The couple had parked their vehicle in underground parking, which was not searched. Officials also found nothing after searching for missing ski rental equipment and missing persons reports from local hotels. The Golden RCMP detachment was not contacted.

On Feb. 21, two more SOS messages were found by ski groups and RCMP were called. They contacted Kicking Horse, who told them that the signal had already been investigated.

On Feb. 23, the missing couple's family filed a missing persons report after the pair failed to return to their home in the Montreal suburb of Lasalle.

The next day search and rescue was finally dispatched after a man waving his arms was spotted by a helicopter. Within an hour, Blackburn was rescued and his wife's frozen body was recovered.

On Thursday, the RCMP said it was in "error" for not launching a search operation soon after receiving reports of an SOS on Feb. 21.

Moskaluk said Friday that had the RCMP received the SOS information first hand near the beginning of the incident things could have been different.

"As early as the 17th (of February) certain agencies did have the information that these signs were seen on the mountain," Moskaluk said. " (That) would have given us the opportunity or had us making the decision as to whether we were activating a search and rescue response."

Moskaluk said although Blackburn suffered frostbite injuries to his extremities it's "quite amazing" that he survived 10 days in the wilderness.

Blackburn was released from hospital Wednesday.

There was a nearby creek from which to drink and Blackburn may have eaten foliage to survive, police have said. The nights were particularly cold, dipping to -15C.