Avalanche warnings renewed after snowmobiler death

Fatality renews avalanche warnings More details are emerging about the avalanche that killed a local snowmobiler west of Merritt, B.C., Saturday.

Vancouver — Forecasters are warning B.C. winter sports enthusiasts to avoid venturing into the backcountry due to the high risk of avalanches on the South Coast.

The warning comes a day after a man was killed in a slide 56 kilometres west of Merritt.

Two snowmobilers were riding near Cabin Lake and Prospect Creek Saturday afternoon when the avalanche struck.

“Initial reports from that scene had indicated that one person was attempting to locate a second person trapped by the slide,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, a spokesperson for the BC RCMP's Southeast District.

Rescue crews rushed to the scene, but the buried man did not survive.

His body was located and the BC Coroners Service confirmed Sunday that he was a man in his early 50s. The service says it is still investigating the exact cause of death.

“The area itself was rather remote and not easily accessible by road," O'Donaghey explained. "Searchers required the use of a helicopter to access the site. It took a fair bit of time before emergency crews could actually reach the scene."

Time experts say the pair did not have.

“You have about a ten minute window where the odds are on your side to safely extricate your partner,” said Mike Conlan, an avalanche forecaster for Avalanche Canada.

“A buried subject has about an 80 per cent survival rate if they’re extricated in the first ten minutes,” Conlan said.

That number decreases to 40 per cent after 15 minutes and just 10 per cent after 35 minutes.

Conlan says getting training from Avalanche Canada, being aware of the forecast, and carrying the proper equipment – including an avalanche transceiver, a probe and a shovel – are vital before heading into the backcountry.

Avalanche Canada has listed high danger ratings in the South Coast, South Coast Inland and Sea to Sky regions.

Conlan says B.C. will be at high risk of avalanches for the foreseeable future.

The South Coast is the middle of what forecasters have described as an “intense” storm, with 40-60 centimetres of snow overnight Saturday alone.

“It looks like there’s probably another intense storm coming on Tuesday,” Conlan said. "With this amount of snow, we expect that natural avalanches can occur. Due to this, travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.”

The victim of Saturday’s slide has not been identified.

A spokesperson for the Merritt Snowmobile Club said the victim had been a member for several years. Members of the club were heading out to the area Sunday to collect the man’s belongings.