2 dead in avalanche near Golden, B.C.

Two people have died in an avalanche outside of a ski area boundary near Golden, B.C., Avalanche Canada said Thursday. 

A group consisting of five snowboarders and one skier were in an area of southeastern B.C.'s Purcell Mountains known as Terminator 2.5 when an avalanche was triggered. Four members of the group were involved, Avalanche Canada said.

The avalanche buried three members of the group. One was partially buried and extracted. Two were fully buried and did not survive.

B.C. Emergency Health Services said it received a call just before noon Thursday about an avalanche southwest of the Kicking Horse Ski Hill. Four ambulances responded and paramedics took one patient to hospital in stable condition.

A second group of snowboarders who were lower in the track when the avalanche was triggered were impacted by the slide but not injured.

The Size 3.5 avalanche measured 115 metres wide and 950 metres long with a crown depth of 1.5 metres, Avalanche Canada said, and "ran on a weak layer of facets near the base of the snowpack."

"The snowpack in [B.C.'s] Interior is still incredibly complex and difficult to manage," Avalanche Canada said on social media Thursday. 

"Deep, persistent slab problems may exhibit no signs of instability before a large avalanche occurs. They're most likely to be triggered on steep and rocky slopes where the snow cover is thin or variable."

Highly volatile season

The latest fatalities bring the total number of avalanche deaths in B.C. in 2023 to nine, including two backcountry skiers who died Saturday in an avalanche approximately 40 kilometres south of Tatla Lake, B.C., two off-duty officers with the Nelson Police Department who were on a ski trip near Kaslo, an Alberta man who was snowmobiling south of Valemount, B.C., and two brothers from Pennsylvania who were on a guided heli-skiing trip in B.C.'s Interior.

Avalanche Canada has compared this season's snowpack with conditions last seen in the winter of 2002-2003, when 25 people lost their lives in B.C.'s backcountry, making it one of the province's worst years on record for avalanche fatalities.

Forecasters say this year's snowpack, with a weak layer of sugar-like crystals buried near the bottom, is to blame for the dangerous conditions.

People heading into the backcountry are urged to check the avalanche forecast and make conservative decisions about which terrain they choose to explore. An avalanche transceiver, snow probe and snow shovel are essential, according to officials, along with practice in their use.

Experts offer safety training as forecasters predict a severe avalanche season in B.C.

2 years ago

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Avalanche Canada is warning that B.C.'s snowpack this year is unusually weak and will be more vulnerable to avalanches. A Prince George Search and Rescue group is hoping those heading to the backcountry will take the time to train themselves in case of an avalanche disaster.

A timeline of avalanche events this season

Dec. 31: A skier suffers life-threatening injuries in a slide near Emerald Lake in southeast B.C., near the Alberta border, Avalanche Canada says in a report.

Jan. 5: Avalanche Canada warns of a touchy snowpack, with various weak layers created by long periods of drought and cold weather.

"Riders have triggered large, scary avalanches with high consequences,'' the advisory says.

Jan. 9: Two off-duty police officers are caught up in an avalanche near Kaslo, B.C., while backcountry skiing. Nelson Police Service Const. Wade Tittemore, 43, dies and Const. Mathieu Nolet, 28, sustains severe internal injuries.

Jan. 21: Nolet dies of his injuries in hospital.

Jan. 21: Two snowmobilers riding at the base of a slope near Valemount, B.C., accidentally trigger an avalanche from above, sending a slab of snow onto one rider while the other escapes. The buried rider is found unresponsive and dies.

Jan. 23: Heli-skiers and their guide are caught in an avalanche near Revelstoke, B.C. The two guests, brothers and American businessmen Jon and Tim Kinsley, are dug out of the snow unresponsive and are both declared dead in hospital. The guide is taken to hospital in stable condition.

Jan. 23: A slide comes down on one person near Cherryville, B.C. Emergency health services says the person is taken to hospital with undetermined injuries.

Feb. 11: Two skiers are caught in an avalanche on Potato Peak, 175 km southeast of Prince George. Both victims were buried alive and were found deceased by search-and-rescue crews. One of those killed is identified as an off-duty member of the local search and rescue team.

Feb. 16: Three people are buried in an avalanche triggered outside of a ski area boundary near Golden, B.C. One is partially buried and extracted while two are fully buried and do not survive.