A Sunday afternoon avalanche at Sifton Col in Glacier National Park has claimed the life of a Revelstoke man.
A statement from the local RCMP detachment said the man was a member of a group of three skiers at the bowl.
“A 38 year old Revelstokian was testing the conditions in the bowl while the other two skiers waited near the top of the ridge,” Staff Sgt. Jacquie Olsen said in a statement released Monday morning. “At approximately 2 pm an avalanche was triggered which buried him. “His friends were able to dig him out, one stayed behind to apply CPR while the other skied back to Parks Canada at Rogers Pass for help.”
Olsen said Parks Canada’s team of visitor safety and avalanche technicians responded immediately by helicopter but the man did not respond to CPR and had succumbed at the scene. The rest of the party was safely extracted by helicopter.
Revelstoke RCMP, Revelstoke Victim Services and the BC Coroners Service were on hand to assist with the investigation. Police are not releasing the name of the skier.
The avalanche was rated as a size 2.5 with the alpine hazard rating estimated as considerable.
Olsen said police would like to remind all backcountry users of the importance of carefully assessing the conditions and terrain and to consult the daily avalanche bulletin before selecting your route of travel. Always travel in a group, ensure that you are equipped with appropriate emergency gear and know how to use it.
Avalanche conditions should be checked at the Canadian Avalanche Centre website before entering the backcountry.
