‘The conditions are extreme’: Mounties searching for missing snowmobiler in northern B.C.

A snowmobile is pictured in this undated file image. (File Photo)

A rescue effort continued Sunday for a snowmobiler who went missing in a highly dangerous setting in northern B.C. earlier this week, according to police.

On Friday night, a Whitehorse resident reported her brother and two friends went snowmobiling near Haines Summit, located in the northwestern corner of B.C. near the Yukon border, to retrieve a broken snow machine, the B.C. RCMP says.

One of the snowmobilers reportedly got separated from the group around 4 p.m., and the other two returned to a parking lot to wait for him. Police say conditions at the time were extremely snowy and windy with zero visibility.

Mounties added the missing man did not have a satellite phone or “any survival gear.”

Search and rescue teams with the Yukon RCMP have been searching the area since Saturday morning, but weather has complicated those efforts.

“The conditions are extreme and (accessing) the area by snowmobile was attempted but not possible. Searches by helicopter have been attempted during short windows of visibility, however the conditions are extremely challenging with snow, fog, rain and wind creating no visibility,” B.C. RCMP wrote in a statement Sunday.

Mounties say the terrain in the area is “very technical” with high avalanche danger, open crevices and melting snow.

“RCMP are aware of well-intended people who are planning to search the area on their own. This is extremely dangerous, and well-intended actions could very well result in RCMP diverting resources to search for additional people who are either lost, stranded or struck by avalanche,” the statement continues.