Inquiry ordered into death of sergeant on training mission in Banff National Park

Sgt. Mark Salesse, 44, is seen in this photo wearing the blue jacket, far right, provided by a friend. Salesse was on a routine mountain training exercise Thursday when he was caught in an avalanche.

Sgt. Mark Salesse died while on a training mission to better prepare himself to save the lives of others.

On Wednesday, Parks Canada crews recovered the Winnipeg climber's body in Banff National Park.

Using search dogs, Liz Quinn said rescuers found her son buried beneath 2.7 metres of snow.

"When I heard the news he was found - Mark is not under the snow he's with me now," Quinn said from her home in Moncton, N.B.

Salesse got swept away in an avalanche while ice climbing on a route known as the Polar Circus.

A skilled and experienced search and rescue technician and by all accounts an exceptional and avid climber, his family had a glimmer of hope Salesse would survive the ordeal.

Instead, at 17 Wing in Winnipeg where Salesse was stationed, the Royal Canadian Air Force said it has initiated an immediate inquiry, a standard procedure, to review the 44-year-old's death.

"We will examine all facets of the events with the objective of determining what happened and how to prevent it from happening again,” said 17 Wing Commander Col. Joël Roy.

"The news that Mark's remains have been recovered brings some much needed closure,” he said.

Weather conditions were moderate when the climb started but later deteriorated. The investigation will address whether the Canadian Forces independently assessed the avalanche risk before the climb, something search and rescue technicians are trained to do.

"We also manage the risk and mitigate the risk in every possible way,” said Liet.-Col. Brent Andrews, the commanding officer of 17 Wing’s 435 Transport & Rescue Squadron. “But the thing about risk mitigation is it doesn't eliminate risk, so accidents happen. Things can happen no matter who you are."

It's not known why Salesse wasn't wearing an avalanche transceiver, an electronic device used to locate people buried under snow.

Liz Quinn said her son would’ve taken precautions.

"He was caught in mother nature's force,” Quinn said. “Although Mark was a giant, he couldn't beat this one."

It could take up to six months before details of the Air Force’s inquiry into Sgt. Salesse’s death become available.

Salesse’s colleagues from the 435 squadron will escort his body from Alberta to a funeral which is expected to happen either in Comox, B.C. or Winnipeg.