[Update 03/05/2024 from North Shore Rescue: The five skiers in Whistler are out of the field, as are all Whistler search and rescue team members.]
The search for five missing skiers at Whistler Resort, British Columbia, has been hindered overnight due to poor weather conditions, with high avalanche risk further complicating rescue efforts.
Avalanche Canada issued a special avalanche warning for Whistler and extensive regions of British Columbia, citing significant snowfall over recent days. Effective through March 4, the warning underscores the heightened risk of avalanches across Western Canada.
North Shore Rescue (NSR) is aiding in searching for the missing skiers last seen on Sunday afternoon. However, adverse weather conditions in Vancouver have impeded helicopter search efforts, while elevated avalanche danger has posed challenges for ground searches.
Whistler Search and Rescue contacted NSR, requesting assistance from their night hoist team to locate and extract the lost skiers. Unfortunately, rescue helicopters could not depart due to the inclement weather, while the risk of avalanches further complicated ground responses.
Details regarding whether the missing skiers ventured out of bounds or remained within the resort’s boundaries have not been disclosed by NSR.
In addition to the ongoing search at Whistler, NSR crews were also deployed to Cypress Mountain on Sunday night in response to a call from a lost skier.
The Whistler area and other parts of British Columbia remain under a special avalanche warning, with Avalanche Canada emphasizing the potential for human-triggered avalanches amidst recent snowfall and weak underlying layers.
