Snowmobiler killed by avalanche in B.C. Interior

The site of a fatal avalanche in Kootenay Pass is pictured from a Nelson Search and Rescue helicopter on Saturday, Feb. 28. (Courtesy: Avalanche Canada)

A young man was killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling in B.C.’s Interior on Saturday, authorities say.

According to an incident report from Avalanche Canada, two snowmobilers were on a slope under a transmission line when they accidentally triggered the slab avalanche behind Camel’s Hump in Kootenay Pass.

Mounties in Creston say they were alerted to the avalanche just after noon MST, and other snowmobilers in the area dug the victims out of the snow while RCMP, search and rescue and B.C. Emergency Health Services were on the way.

“Both men were extracted by the other snowmobilers, but sadly a 23-year-old man died at scene,” police wrote in a statement Sunday. “Creston RCMP wishes to express our condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased man.”

The avalanche danger rating in the area is currently “considerable,” and Avalanche Canada says large slab avalanches are either being triggered by riders or naturally occurring on a near-daily basis.