Avalanche
Five heli-skiers were caught in an avalanche near Whistler, British Columbia, on Monday afternoon, triggering a rescue operation that ended with all individuals safely recovered.
The avalanche occurred in a backcountry area called The Meadow on Ipsoot Mountain. It was triggered during a heli-skiing trip with Whistler Heli-Ski. The snow fully buried two men and two women, while one was partially buried.
Constable Antoine Graebling of the Whistler RCMP reported that two skiers were buried for 10 minutes before being rescued. The avalanche, classified as a size 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 5, was powerful enough to bury or kill a person.
BC Emergency Health Services sent ambulances to a Whistler Helipad staging area, where paramedics provided emergency treatment to three patients before they were transported to a hospital in stable condition. Two others were assessed but did not require hospitalization.
Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol and search-and-rescue officials also responded to the scene. Dane Gergovich, communications manager for Whistler Blackcomb, expressed gratitude for the rapid response: “Whistler Heli-Skiing is grateful to its partners and Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol for their quick action.”
There is not yet a report on Avalanche.ca with more details.
Avalanche Canada had rated the avalanche danger as “considerable” in alpine areas, urging skiers to “stick to mellow objectives despite the short clearance between storms.”
