A heli-skiing trip in the Selkirk Mountains turned tragic on Thursday afternoon.
Around 2 pm, a group of guests and guides from Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing experienced an avalanche, classified as size two, while skiing at an elevation of 2,150 metres southeast of Revelstoke.
One of the last guests in the group was skiing down the route when the avalanche was triggered and they were buried under approximately 1.5m of snow.
The Selkirk Tangiers team located the skier under the debris field and initiated CPR before they were airlifted to Queen Victoria Hospital in Revelstoke.
Unfortunately, they did not survive the incident.
“It is impossible to put into words the sorrow we feel; that sadness is shared by everyone impacted as well as our staff,” said Selkirk Tangiers general manager Dave Pehowich.
“Our guests are like family to us and our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the guest that was lost and all involved.”
Pehowich added that Selkirk Tangiers guides are “experts” and undergo extensive training over many years to certify their roles so they can minimize risks.
“However, avalanches are one of many risks to people in mountains, and similar to many outdoors activities, it’s impossible to eliminate 100% of the risks in the backcountry,” he said.
RCMP investigators quickly determined there was no criminality involved in the incident and are now assisting the BC Coroners Service with the probe.
“This incident is a tragic reminder of the inherent risks that exist in the backcountry, even for experienced users,” noted Cpl. Brett Urano.
“We encourage everyone planning to travel in avalanche terrain to stay informed of current conditions, ensure they are properly equipped, and make conservative decisions to help keep themselves and others safe.”
An Avalanche Canada report classified the slide as accidental in nature, triggered by human activity and due to a persistent slab. It had a width of 80m, run length of 30m and depth of 50cm.
