4 dead, 1 airlifted to hospital after avalanches in B.C. backcountry

Four people died and several others were rescued from the sites of two separate avalanches in northern B.C. Sunday.

Four people are dead following two separate avalanches Sunday in the northern British Columbia backcountry.

Mounties in Terrace say police received a report of an avalanche on Mount Knauss at 1:28 p.m.

Four heli-skiers were reportedly caught in the slide on the Iridium Shoulder ski run.

Search and rescue volunteers and emergency responders were dispatched to the scene, where three skiers were confirmed dead and a fourth was airlifted to hospital with what Avalanche Canada described as a critical injury.

Survivor identified as ski guide

Terrace-based operator White Wilderness Heliskiing says the victims were located within 15 minutes of the slide, thanks in part to their avalanche transceivers and deployed airbags.

The company identified the survivor as a ski guide while those killed were all customers.

“The guide is presently in stable condition and is undergoing surgery in Vancouver,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Approximately two hours after the incident, an avalanche claimed the life of another skier near Pleasant Camp, along the B.C.-Alaska border.

The Atlin RCMP says it received an emergency alert from a Garmin handheld device near the Klehini River just before 3:30 p.m.

The alert indicated that an avalanche had struck a group of people, leaving one unconscious while the others performed CPR.

Police co-ordinated a response with volunteers from Atlin Search and Rescue, deploying a helicopter to cover the roughly 150 kilometres to the area where the alert originated.

“Upon arrival, responders confirmed that one person was deceased,” the RCMP said in a statement Monday. “Five individuals were extracted in total, with four uninjured.”

‘Heartfelt condolences’

Avalanche Canada says the group of five was ski touring in the area, and the slide was set off by the fourth skier in the group as they descended the slope.

The agency says one skier was fully buried under about 1.5 metres of snow and didn’t survive, while another was partially buried and sustained minor injuries.

The B.C. Coroners Service has been notified and is investigating both incidents.

White Wilderness Heliskiing says it has suspended its operations until further notice.

“The WWH team sends its heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the three guests who lost their lives in this incident,” the company said. “Our deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims.”

Deadly year in backcountry

At least four fatal avalanches were recorded in B.C. last month, according to the latest data from Avalanche Canada.

The agency’s danger map shows elevated slide risks remain in parts of the province near Pemberton, Terrace and along the Alberta boundary. Backcountry users are urged to use extreme caution in those areas.

“Wind slabs have the potential to step down to buried layers and become large, dangerous avalanches,” the agency said in an updated warning Monday. “It’s time to choose simple, low-angled terrain if you’re recreating in those areas.”