The weather may be unusually dry in much of southern Alberta, but a scary incident in the Crowsnest Pass on Sunday serves as a reminder that there’s still the danger of avalanches in alpine areas.
The RCMP say the avalanche happened SW of Coleman near Mount Coulthard, in an area locally known as the York Creek plane crash.
Cpl. Mark Amatto, says the RCMP got a text message, via satellite receiver, at 10:40 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2024 from a group of three people hiking who said they had triggered an avalanche and one person from the group was buried.
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The RCMP called the Southwest Alberta Regional Search and Rescue (SARSAR) for help, but Cpl. Amatto says, the other two members of the group managed to dig the victim out from under the avalanche before search and rescue crews arrived on scene.
He says a group of hunters who were in the area then helped transport the victim to an ambulance that was waiting at the search and rescue staging area.
The victim was transported to hospital in Blairmore with a suspected broken clavicle.
Fortunately, says SARSAR President, Nick Morantz, the hikers were all properly equipped and trained in avalanche safety.
In a statement posted on social media, SARSAR says the incident should serve as “a strong reminder that, despite the lack of snow and warm temps in the valley, it is very much winter in the alpine,” and “some areas are still able to collect wind blown snow this time of year,” adds Morantz.
More details on the avalanche are available at avalanche.ca.
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