Avalanche in Thunderwater Lake riding area claims life of snowmobiler

By The Canadian Press on April 16, 2023.

INVERMERE, B.C. – Avalanche Canada says a snowmobiler died after being caught in an avalanche in a riding area northwest of Invermere, B.C.

The avalanche safety organization says a trio of snowmobilers was riding a slope above Whirlpool Lake on Saturday when two of the riders were caught up in a slide.

Avalanche Canada says one rider managed to avoid being buried, but one was trapped under two metres of snow.

It says the other riders found and dug the buried rider out and did CPR before search and rescue arrived and transported the victim to Invermere in a helicopter.

Avalanche Canada says the trio was riding a slope in the Thunderwater Lake area when the avalanche occurred.

Avalanche Canada and alpine enthusiasts have sounded the alarm about the province’s dangerously unstable snowpack in some areas, with more than a dozen people killed in slides this season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 16, 2023.

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