Avalanche
Seven skiers in the Gaspé region of Canada were caught in an avalanche on the Mont Albert Tuesday afternoon, reports CBC. Six of them were injured, one of them seriously. The skier who was seriously hurt suffered a back injury and must undergo surgery. Another injured skier has a dislocated shoulder. They are all expected to recover.
Quebec provincial police say authorities were alerted to the avalanche at about 4:30 pm and the ensuing rescue operation lasted hours, with the last person pulled out of the snow at 8:30 pm.
Julie Leblanc, a forecaster for Avalanche Québec, told CBC the avalanche could have been caused by the release of “wind plates,” layers of stiff snow deposited by the wind. She said it appears the skiers trapped by the slide had been prepared, carrying avalanche gear.
Six of the skiers are from New Brunswick and one is from Nova Scotia. The group had been climbing one behind the other when the avalanche occurred at 2:30 pm. One of them was able to get help, Leblanc said.
