| Date: | 03-26-2000 | ||
| Submitted By: | Frank W. Baumann | ||
| Place: | Powder Mountain, near Whistler | ||
| State: | BC | Country: | CANADA |
| Fatalities: | 1 | Activity: | SNOWBOARD |
| Summary: | 2 snowboarders caught, 1 buried and killed | ||
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The avalanche involved two snowboarders who were in the backcountry near Powder Mountain, about 15 km west of Whistler, B.C. One person was partially buried, but managed to extricate himself and start a transceiver search for his fully buried partner. A number of snowmobilers in the area also helped with the rescue and soon found the missing snowboarder, and started CPR. However, a doctor flown to the scene established that the victim had died of his injuries. The Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Patrol had rated the avalanche danger as "Moderate" but was warning that rising temperatures might increase the hazard. The Canadian Avalanche Association had rated the hazard as "Considerable" with pockets of "High" and was also warning of increasing hazard due to rising temperatures. Frank W. Baumann |
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