Snowmobiler dies in avalanche near Queest Mountain

Sicamous RCMP – Tue Jan 19 09:36:00 PST 2010

Late Monday evening at approximately 10:30 pm, January 18th, 2010, the Sicamous RCMP Detachment responded to a report of a group of snowmobilers being caught in an avalanche in the Queest Mountain area near Sicamous.

The RCMP activated the Shuswap Volunteer Search and Rescue Team, with the rescue effort commencing last night. Provincial Emergency Air assets were in the Interior of the province, with a Comox based CH-149 Cormorant helicopter that had been responding to the earlier reported plane crash near Nelson. The Provincial Joint Search and Rescue aircraft was in a position to immediately assist with the avalanche rescue. Air and Ground Searchers located the group with one male deceased at the scene, a second being airlifted out with leg fractures and the remaining two being able to exit the area via snowmobile.

The Sicamous RCMP are continuing to coordinate the recovery operation of the deceased. Additional air resources from the RCMP Southeast District Air Services helicopter Air 3 are now in the area. Provincial AvTechs are also assessing the snow conditions in order to determine the current avalanche conditions prior to rescue crews re-entering the area.

The RCMP along with BC Coroners Service will continue their investigation into this fatal incident. The Sicamous RCMP is currently in contact with the family of the deceased and have not released further details of his identity. It was confirmed that the man is from Manitoba.

The RCMP anticipate that further updates will be made regarding the incident by mid afternoon to report further on the recovery effort of the deceased.

RCMP file # 2010-67

Update – Tue Jan 19 14:01:00 PST 2010

At around noon on January 19th, RCMP Air 3 Police Helicopter was utilized to recover the body of the deceased snowmobiler from the avalanche site on Queest Mtn. near Sicamous.

The victim, a male in his 30s, was born and raised in Manitoba, but was residing in Alberta at the time of his demise.

He was snowmobiling with three friends, one from Manitoba, and two from Alberta. The four were considered to be experienced snowmobilers who were familiar with the Sicamous area. They were properly equipped and outfitted while on their excursion and, after the slide happened, one of the group was able to use a satellite phone to call 911 at around 10:30 p.m. last night.

Search and Rescue crews worked diligently, in hazardous and unpredictable snow and weather conditions, in order to locate three of the four snowmobilers. Search and Rescue, in cooperation with Police and other emergency crews,including a Cormorant Helicopter from CFB Comox that was in the area, was able to bring the three off the mountain to safety.

The body of the recovered snowmobiler is now in the care of the Coroner’s service, who will be conducting their own investigation. Police involvement, with respect to any criminal investigation, has concluded.