Avalance In Souther B.C Leave a Man Dead; One Woman in Critical Condition

An avalanche that struck Kootenay Pass in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains on Sunday has left one man dead and one woman in serious condition.

According to the Salmo headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police the man and woman, aged 28 and 27 perspectival, were skiing the Lightening Strike Ski area when they were caught up in the avalanche. After an extensive rescue operation that involved air and ground units, the two were quickly extricated shortly after which the male skier died. The woman survived and was immediately flight lifted to a nearby hospital, where she is listed in critical condition.

This accident occurs after a recent string of avalanche warnings issued by authorities for most of BC’s many mountainous regions. Now advisory organizations such as the Canadian Avalanche Centre have issued several advisories urging citizens to avoid the backcountry.

In an interview, CAC manager Karl Klassen identifies the recent drought in the area as the cause for the sudden rise in the risk of avalanches. Klassen states:
“That long drought left the surface of the snowpack in very bad shape, now the new snow is sitting on one of the worst weak layers we’ve seen in a few years. That weakness is currently anywhere between one and two metres deep so when it’s triggered, the resulting avalanches are very large.”

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UPDATE: One dead and one seriously injured after avalanche near Kootenay Pass, B.C.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1167780/one-person-trapped-in-avalanche-near-nelson-b-c/