Pemberton, B.C. avalanches injure two skiers
Posted March 5, 2023 8:21 pm.
Two skiers were injured in two different avalanches in B.C. Saturday afternoon. Both avalanches happened in the Pemberton area, a few hours north of Vancouver.
Pemberton SAR Manager David MacKenzie says the two avalanches were around two kilometres away from each other. The avalanches were located near the Marriot and Cayoosh Mountains.
“We had deployed a team into the field. As they were making their way, we had further learned that the actual injured party had been caught in an avalanche and had been buried and his fellow skiers had dug him out.”
MacKenzie says they received a call about a second avalanche while they were dealing with the first slide. He says a team was then sent to the second avalanche site.
“Very similar situation. It was a fellow that had been buried and his fellow skiers had dug him out and provided some first aid until our team had gotten there to evacuate them.”
In an email to CityNews, BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) says the two people involved in the first and second avalanches were taken to the hospital in stable condition.
“Right now my advice would be, people should really stay out of the backcountry in our area. It’s a very dynamic situation. It’s just far too risky right now. Given the conditions and when people venture out and they get themselves into trouble and they require our services. They’re also putting our team in jeopardy.”
Related: German tourists killed in B.C. avalanche identified
MacKenzie says it’s also important to take Avalanche Canada’s forecasting and warnings seriously.
Avalanche Canada issued a report Saturday evening about the two avalanche incidents.”
In the last couple of days, there have been numerous reports of storm slab, wind slab, and loose dry avalanches most of these were released naturally and a few were human triggered,” the report read.
Avalanche Canada says the northeasterly winds created touchy wind slabs at all elevations in the Pemberton area, creating dangerous avalanche conditions.
Three people were killed in B.C.’s backcountry last week, taking the total number of people killed by avalanches this year to 12.
