Three skiers from Seattle die in B.C. avalanche

Associated Press

NELSON, British Columbia — Three Seattle-area skiers have died in an avalanche in southeastern British Columbia, authorities said Tuesday.

The dead, whose names were not immediately released, were among a party of eight back-country skiers caught in the slide Monday afternoon near Kaslo, north of Nelson, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported. That’s about 30 miles north of the U.S.-Canadian border, above Eastern Washington state near its border with Idaho.

The victims were from the Seattle area, said RCMP Sgt. Randy Koch in Kaslo.

Five skiers were heading down Mount Carlyle when four were caught in the avalanche. One of the four was able to ski out of danger, police said.

"They were making their descent down a slope, single-file," Koch said.

"Three of the five made it down and as the fourth was beginning his descent, he triggered an avalanche which unfortunately trapped three people that were below him."

The survivors dug out the bodies, which took about two hours, and then returned to their cabin to notify police via radio-telephone.

The bodies were recovered Tuesday and taken to Trail, British Columbia, for autopsies.

The eight Americans were staying at Kootenay Mountain Huts on Mount Carlyle, about six miles north of Kokanee Glacier provincial park. They were not accompanied by a guide at the time of the avalanche, but Koch said the victims apparently were experienced back-country skiers.

"It appeared that they were doing the right things in terms of profiling the snow conditions," he said.

Avalanche danger at the time was rated as considerable by the Canadian Avalanche Association, an RCMP news release said.

Back-country recreationalists have criticized the British Columbia government for cutting funding for the association’s warning program.

Two other people have been killed in British Columbia avalanches so far this year — an American skier and a Canadian snowmobiler.