Snowmobiler killed after snow ledge collapses near Whistler, B.C.
Nanaimo man, 52, pronounced dead at the scene after being partially buried in snow
A snowmobiler was killed Saturday when a ledge of snow fell from under him near Whistler, B.C., sending him plummeting down a hillside.
RCMP say a 52-year-old man from Nanaimo, B.C., was driving a snowmobile in the area of Mount Callaghan near Callaghan Lake Provincial Park when he stopped on a cornice.
Officers were notified that the ledge of snow had collapsed, sweeping the snowmobiler around 75 metres down a slope.
The man was partially buried in snow and police say other snowmobilers in the area dug him out and began CPR until rescuers arrived.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the coroners service is now investigating.
Mounties are warning people heading into the backcountry to be cautious around cornices by keeping a safe distance from the edges of cliffs, and also to be wary of the risk of avalanches.