Skiers rescued off Okanagan mountain in heavy snow

Crews rescued a skier on Baldy Mountain in difficult conditions on Saturday, Jan. 3. (Courtesy: Oliver/Osoyoos Search and Rescue)

It was a busy Saturday for crews on a ski mountain in B.C.’s Okanagan, Oliver/Osoyoos Search and Rescue says.

Volunteers were called to Baldy Mountain Resort twice, the first task coming in around 2:30 p.m. to rescue two young skiers who went out of bounds, OOSAR recounted in a social media post. Search and rescue was stood down after Baldy Ski Patrol brought the pair to safety.

A few hours later, another skier got lost in the same area, and he was lucky to have cell signal and call 911, the organization said.

“With darkness and heavy snow, OOSAR teams deployed on snowshoes and snowmobiles to reach him,” the post reads. “After an extensive night search that concluded around 2 a.m., the man was found cold and tired but otherwise okay and taken to hospital for assessment.”

Search and rescue volunteers reminded skiers to stay in-bounds and to always be fully prepared with proper gear, warm layers and a working communication device in the backcountry.

OOSAR recommended reading up to “know before you snow” at B.C. AdventureSmart and the British Columbia Search and Rescue Association.