Mark Salesse: ground search finds no sign of missing RCAF member

The search continued today for Sgt. Mark Salesse, the RCAF search and rescue technician swept away by an avalanche in Banff National Park on Thursday.

Salesse, 44, was performing annual training exercises in an area known as the Polar Circus — about 125 kilometres southeast of Jasper on the Icefields Parkway — with three other members of the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron from 17 Wing Winnipeg when the incident occurred.

According to Parks Canada, Salesse and his partner were on their descent when one of them triggered a small avalanche and Salesse was swept over a 60 metre cliff.

The recovery operation is being led by a Parks Canada visitor safety specialist team. Search efforts have been hampered by a high avalanche risk and over the weekend, conditions were not safe enough to allow for a proper ground search.

First ground search

Parks Canada says there was a window of good weather today and stable avalanche conditions, which allowed for four ground searchers and rescue dog search teams into the primary search area on Polar Circus.

The teams spent two and a half hours on the site before worsening avalanche conditions forced them to stop.

The teams were unable to find any clues as to where Salesse might be.

"We'll continue to work at this as best we can until we've located the victim," said Rick Kubian of Parks Canada. "It is a really challenging scenario. We're hopeful that we're able to have success soon but it is a really challenging area to work in and very rapidly changing conditions."

Parks Canada said in a release their thoughts are with the family and members of the squadron and they are making every effort to get into the area and conduct a search as safely and efficiently as possible.

The search is expecting to resume tomorrow, weather and avalanche conditions permitting.