6 skiers injured, 1 seriously, in avalanche on Mont Albert in the Gaspé
Rescue of skiers Tuesday evening took hours, but those trapped by snow appear to have had avalanche gear
Seven skiers in the Gaspé region were caught in an avalanche on the Mont Albert Tuesday afternoon.
Six of them were injured, one of them seriously. They are all expected to recover.
Quebec provincial police say authorities were alerted to the avalanche at about 4:30 p.m.
The ensuing rescue operation lasted hours, with the last person pulled out of the snow at 8:30 p.m.
Back injury, dislocated shoulder among injuries
Julie Leblanc, a forecaster for Avalanche Québec, says the avalanche could have been caused by the release of "wind plates," layers of stiff snow deposited by the wind.
She said it appears the skiers trapped by the slide had been prepared, carrying avalanche gear.
Six of the skiers are from New Brunswick and one is from Nova Scotia. The group had been climbing one behind the other when the avalanche occurred at 2:30 p.m.
One of them was able to get help, Leblanc said.
The skier who was seriously hurt suffered a back injury and must undergo surgery. Another injured skier has a dislocated shoulder.
With files from Radio-Canada's Jean-François Deschênes