Rescue crews have found a seventh body after avalanches struck a group of snowmobilers in a backcountry area near Fernie, B.C., on the weekend. One person is still missing.
The group was hit by back-to-back avalanches on Sunday, burying a total of 11 people. Three escaped, and officials began a desperate search for the remaining eight.
RCMP Cpl. Chris Faulkner told reporters that some of the bodies found by officials had beacons on their clothing, which may have helped rescue crews pinpoint their location.
Most or all of the snowmobilers were men in their 20s from the small coal-mining town of Sparwood, which has a population of just 3,900 people.
"Most of the guys were raised here, had wives here and were building their lives here," a resident named Brenda told CTV British Columbia.
The town held a candle-light vigil Monday night for family and friends of the victims.
Earlier Monday, RCMP Cpl. Andy Veltmeyer told reporters that all of the missing snowmobilers were experienced riders.
But he said the site was "a narrow, small alpine bowl" which had seen "several avalanches," two of which had fallen on the trapped snowmobilers.
Before searchers entered the area on Monday, they blasted the area with what an RCMP press release called "handheld avalanche bombs," in an effort to limit the risk of further avalanches.
Veltmeyer said 17 searchers and two RCMP dogs were at the site on Monday, with additional support to follow.
"They're there searching the site and in addition to that, we have going up there now, people to dig," Veltmeyer said.
"So there's, I guess, two phases there: people to search and people to dig. And people to back up the diggers when they get tired."
David Wilks, mayor of Sparwood, said an initial slide came down in the area known as Harvey Creek at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, striking several of the 11 snowmobilers in the group.
The remaining snowmobilers were attempting to dig out their friends, when a second avalanche came down, burying all 11, Wilks told CTV's Canada AM.
"Three of those 11 were able to dig themselves out and then start walking back towards Fernie, and were then sighted by a helicopter after reports of an avalanche in that area," Wilks said.
Harvey Creek is located east of Fernie, and about 300 kilometers southwest of Calgary.
Wilks described Sparwood as a close-knit community, and said the town was pulling together to deal with the tragedy.
"All of these gentlemen that were out snowmobiling yesterday know each other, most of them went to school together. We're a close-knit community and we will bond together and get through this," Wilks said.
Fernie mayor Cindy Corrigan said she was "just quite devastated" by what has happened.
"It's something that we don't ever hope happens in Fernie or in the surrounding area in the wintertime," she said.
"But, the conditions that we've got in the last few days are just, they're so severe that it's a shame that they decided to go into the backcountry."
On Sunday night, Jennifer Henkes, a spokesperson from B.C.'s Interior Health Authority, confirmed that three snowmobilers had been rescued from the avalanche and were taken to hospital.
She also said two of the rescued snowmobilers were discharged from hospital and that one person was in stable condition.
"We do have one survivor in the Elk Valley Hospital," she said. "That person is being kept overnight for observation."
With files from The Canadian Press
