2 skiers killed in separate avalanches in Alberta’s backcountry

Two people died in two separate avalanches in Alberta's backcountry on Friday afternoon. Tyler Barrow reports.

Two skiers are dead after a pair of avalanches in Alberta’s backcountry on Friday.

Around 3:45 p.m., Lake Louise RCMP responded to reports of an avalanche in an area near the resort.

Avalanche Canada said on its website “after skiing Pipestone Bowl, (out of bounds from Lake Louise ski area), two skiers were working back to the ski area on a flagged traverse line in their downhill gear.

“At 1500 hrs (3 p.m.), Skier 1 triggered the avalanche on a 25-degree slope that propagated to the steeper terrain overhead. He was carried 50 metres and buried 150-200 centimetres deep.

“Skier 2 conducted a transceiver search, excavated Skier 1, and initiated first aid.”

Alpine Helicopter Rescue flew the badly injured skier to the staging area at the ski resort, but he died from his injuries.

The condition of the skier who survived is not known.

RCMP were assisted by crews from the Lake Louise Fire Department, search and rescue, local ski patrol, Alberta Health Services EMS, Parks Canada and STARS Air Ambulance.

Avalanche conditions in this area are currently rated as high.

Kananaskis Country

Another avalanche happened in Kananaskis Country around 4 p.m., and involved a group of four skiers.

Of the four, one, a 34-year-old woman, was swept up and died from the injuries they sustained.

The other three were uninjured.

RCMP say an alert beacon signaled emergency responders.

A Kananaskis Country EMS unit staged just north of the Black Prince Day Use Area, about a kilometre north.

Alpine Helicopter Rescue also attended the Kananaskis Country scene to bring the deceased down.

Avalanche conditions in this area are currently rated as considerable.

‘Verify conditions’: Avalanche Canada

Tyson Rettie, a forecaster with Avalanche Canada, said most fatal incidents actually occur when the conditions are rated “considerable” or “moderate.”

“That ”considerable" rating -- that’s when things are not as straight forward," Rettie said.

“There are many slopes where you may trigger avalanches, but there are also slopes where you won’t.

“It’s not always as straight forward where the safe riding is,” he added, “versus the terrain you need to stay away from.”

Rettie said it’s important to check the avalanche forecast before heading out into the mountains at avalanche.ca.

“That way, you might know what you’re getting before you get out into the mountains.”

If the conditions are rated “considerable,” Rettie said “the message is to choose conservative, low-consequence terrain so that way, if you choose wrong, the resulting avalanche would be small and consequences minimal.”

He also said to monitor the weather closely.

“Get the forecast, choose terrain that matches the forecast, and then verify conditions to make sure that what you’re seeing matches what you’re being told.”

He also stressed the need for prior training.

“It’s really important that anyone heading out into the mountains takes an avalanche training course.”

As far as gear goes, he said, “Anyone heading into back country needs to have a probe, a shovel and a transceiver -- and ideally, some means of reaching out to someone for a call for help, so a communication device of some kind.”

With files from CTV’s Damien Wood, Tyler Barrow and The Canadian Press