Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Two skiers survive separate avalanches in B.C.

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 Mar, 2023 11:03 AM
  • Two skiers survive separate avalanches in B.C.

VANCOUVER - Avalanche Canada confirms two skiers have been caught and injured in separate slides east of Pemberton, B.C.

The Avalanche Canada website says both events happened Saturday and each one involved a fully buried skier who was saved because of the quick work of others in their group.

Both victims had to be airlifted to hospital after smashing against trees and suffering various injuries while being swept along by the snow.

Avalanche Canada says the "deep and persistent" problem related to the unstable snow pack still affects most slopes in the B.C. backcountry and is now complicated by newly formed, touchy wind slabs.

Slabs, which are layers of stiff, wind-deposited snow, have been seen at all elevations and on all aspects of coastal mountains and the website says, when triggered, they can slice down to the weakest part of the snowpack, causing large avalanches.

Twelve people have died in six separate avalanches around southern B.C. since January, and Avalanche Canada has repeatedly warned people to make "conservative, low-consequence choices" if they head out at all.

Ryan Buhler, a forecast program supervisor with Avalanche Canada said last week that the weak layers of the snowpack are so deep that clues of instability are hard to spot, and he warned spring weather will make conditions even less stable.

"We know sunny weather can create a false sense of security and lure people out into avalanche terrain, even though unstable conditions exist," Buhler said in a statement.

"Even 30 minutes of sun can have a significant impact on the snowpack at this time of year," he said.

Interior Health, which provides health services in the area where all B.C.'s avalanche fatalities have occurred this year, has urged outdoor enthusiasts to "consider delaying a backcountry trip until conditions are safer.”

MORE National ARTICLES

Repatriation ceremony at B.C. museum for totem

Repatriation ceremony at B.C. museum for totem
Drummers and singers from the Nuxalk Nation participated in a ceremony today with the goal to reawaken the spirit of the totem by Louie Snow, an Indigenous carver who lost many works to the Royal B.C. Museum and other institutions.

Repatriation ceremony at B.C. museum for totem

Police seek info regarding missing female Kamaljit Tiwana

Police seek info regarding missing female Kamaljit Tiwana
Kamaljit Tiwana was believed to be driving a grey 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, which was located abandoned by Delta Police in a northbound lane on the Alex Fraser Bridge early Sunday morning. Kamaljit Tiwana is described as a 42-year-old South Asian woman, 5’5, 99 lbs. with brown eyes and black hair.

Police seek info regarding missing female Kamaljit Tiwana

Fourth flying object shot down by U.S. military

Fourth flying object shot down by U.S. military
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Sunday Canada and the U.S. were co-operating and in constant communication about the situation, adding both countries and the North American Aerospace Defence Command are taking the situation very seriously.    

Fourth flying object shot down by U.S. military

12 injured in Ottawa gas explosion, including kids

12 injured in Ottawa gas explosion, including kids
Two men had serious injuries, but all in hospital were in stable condition, they said. Other injured people were released at the scene. The explosion occurred around 6:18 a.m. local time and affected four homes that were under construction, said Ottawa deputy fire chief David Matschke.    

12 injured in Ottawa gas explosion, including kids

U.S. shoots down 'object' near Canada-U.S. border

U.S. shoots down 'object' near Canada-U.S. border
National Security Council co-ordinator John Kirby confirmed the latest encounter and its location during Friday's press briefing at the White House, and said the order to shoot it down came directly from President Joe Biden.

U.S. shoots down 'object' near Canada-U.S. border

Lifted trailer rams Richmond, B.C., overpass

Lifted trailer rams Richmond, B.C., overpass
He says the trailer with a box on top was in the lifted or dumping position when it crashed into the overpass. Hwang says it's unclear what the circumstances were before the crash, which happened at about 7:30 Friday morning.

Lifted trailer rams Richmond, B.C., overpass