Police and ski patrols rescued five heli-skiers from a Dec. 23 avalanche in the southwest of British Columbia that left one skier partially buried and four fully trapped.
Police received reports of an avalanche near Ipsoot Mountain, north of Whistler, B.C., at around 1:30 p.m, RCMP Const. Antoine Graebling told The Epoch Times. Four skiers and their guide, dropped at the mountain’s summit by helicopter, were caught in the avalanche with all but one of them completely submerged.
A group of nearby heli-skiers witnessed the avalanche and immediately began rescue efforts, according to police. They were joined a few minutes later by the Whistler Blackcomb Ski Patrol, the Whistler Search and Rescue team, and B.C. Emergency Health Services, which deployed three ambulances and one advanced care paramedic responder unit.
Graebling said two of the five skiers were under the snow for at least 10 minutes, and the quick response was critical in ensuring a positive end to the incident.
“In that kind of mountain environment and mountain rescue, time is really of the essence,” said Graebling. “When you have people that are buried under the snow pack, their chances of survival decreases with every minute that passes with them being fully buried.”
Three of the skiers received emergency medical treatment from paramedics and were transported to hospital in stable condition, Brian Twaites, spokesperson for BC Emergency Health Services, told The Epoch Times in a statement. The other two skiers were assessed by paramedics and received care, but did not require hospitalization.
Related Stories
The incident occurred in an area with no avalanche control, said Graebling, adding that police initially thought the avalanche was caused by the skiing activity, but now believe it was a natural phenomenon.
B.C. Premier David Eby commended the rescue efforts in a Dec. 23 social media post.
“An incredible rescue. My thanks to all of the Search and Rescue crews, first responders and healthcare workers who worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe,” he wrote.
The RCMP said the avalanche was a size 2.5, which is big enough to bury, injure, or kill a person. A size 3 avalanche is large enough to bury a car, and a size 5 could destroy a village.
Graebling said another factor that prevented fatalities in this incident was the avalanche’s snow, which was “light and fluffy” rather than the “heavy cement” type. He added that avalanches usually have a significant mortality rate, but this case was usual.
“What I think is very surprising is that, usually when people are fully buried, it really decreases their chance of survival,” he said. “In this particular instance, we had four out of the five people that were fully submerged into the snow pack, and all of them survived the incident.”
