Mounties in Squamish, B.C., say three bodies have been recovered from the area of Garibaldi Provincial Park where three mountaineers went missing last month. The Atwell Peak area of Mount Garibaldi, near Squamish, B.C. is shown from a helicopter, in this handout image provided by North Shore Rescue, taken on Wednesday June 5, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-North Shore Rescue **MANDATORY CREDIT **
SQUAMISH, BRITISH COLUMBIA – Mounties in Squamish, B.C., say three bodies have been recovered from the area of Garibaldi Provincial Park where three mountaineers went missing last month.
In a statement released by the RCMP, BJ Chute, manager of Squamish Search and Rescue, says the team worked with police to carry out the recovery operation in the Atwell Peak area Monday morning.
RCMP did not release the names of those who died, saying their families have requested privacy.
The three mountaineers were last seen on May 31 in terrain that local authorities had described as complex and remote.
The early days of the search operation were hampered by poor weather conditions, including high avalanche risk and low visibility.
Squamish Search and Rescue posted an update on social media almost a week after the trio was last seen, saying the effort was temporarily suspended, followed by another update on June 8 saying the team hadn’t completely stopped looking but was switching tactics due to the “dangerous terrain” and conditions.
The RCMP and BC Coroners Service are now investigating the deaths.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2024.
