Avalanche
A Class 1 avalanche killed a snowboarder within the Whistler Blackcomb, BC ski area Thursday.
The resort confirmed a 42-year-old woman from New South Wales, Australia was caught in an avalanche along with her 36-year-old male partner in a closed area above Lakeside Bowl, a steep, rocky, south-facing slope, on Blackcomb Mountain.
The couple survived and managed to contact first responders, who rushed the female to the Whistler Health Care Centre. The woman later died from her injuries. The male is in a stable condition.
The slide came on the same day that Avalanche Canada issued a warning for the South Coast and Vancouver Island due to a weak snowpack and the possibility of fresh snowfall on Friday. The warning is expected to last until at least Sunday.
The coroner’s service is now investigating.
This tragic accident brings the total number of avalanche-related deaths to 22 in North America. 16 in the US, and 6 in Canada.
