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Lethbridge councillor killed in avalanche

Wade Galloway, 37, was snowboarding with a friend in Waterton Lakes National Park when he was caught in an avalanche.

Wade Galloway, 37, was snowboarding when he was caught in an avalanche

A Lethbridge city councillor died after an avalanche in Waterton Lakes National Park this past weekend.

Wade Galloway (City of Lethbridge)

Wade Galloway, 37, was snowboarding with a friend on Saturday when they triggered the slide. His family released a statement Monday, saying they are devastated by the loss.

"We are grateful for the efforts of this friend, who partially uncovered Wade and attempted to revive him by performing CPR before leaving to get help.We have been informed that recovery efforts are being hampered by extremely high winds and unstable snow conditions. As a result, the recovery may not be completed until later this week."

On the City of Lethbridge's website Galloway described himself as as a commercial landlord who was married and the father of two children. He also wrote that he helped build a skateboard park in the city and helped organize an annual fundraiser for the Canadian Avalanche Foundation.

"He was an advocate for not only safety, but fundraising for avalanche equipment and that type of thing. He was recognized as a leading fundraiser for avalanche safety," said Lethbridge mayor Chris Spearman.

Doreen McGillis, a spokeswoman with Parks Canada, said Monday this is the first avalanche fatality in Waterton

"The area that the accident happened has only partially slid, so before we can send in any teams of personnel into the site, we need to be able to bomb the rest of the avalanche path and make sure that it's safe for them to go into the area," she said.

Another Alberta man was killed in an avalanche on the same day while snowmobiling in Revelstoke, B.C.

A map showing the location of the avalanche. (CBC)