Two believed dead in avalanche near Smithers, B.C.

A skier from Canmore and another from Regina, SK, are believed to be dead after an avalanche was triggered in remote, backcountry terrain near Smithers, B.C., on Saturday, RCMP say.

Early Sunday, RCMP and search and rescue crews were set to begin searching for the body of the man who they believed remained buried near the Burnie Glacier, about 50 kilometres southwest of Smithers. On Saturday, two skiers in the group caught in the slide dug out the body of a 52-year-old woman buried in the avalanche.

The slide hit at about 4:45 p.m., RCMP say.

According to a spokesman for the Burnie Glacier Chalet, a group of four skiers was caught in the avalanche. Three skiers were buried. The fourth skier dug out a 64-year-old man, who had minor injuries. The two survivors dug out the woman, who had perished.

The two survivors skied back to the chalet to report the avalanche and call for help, said Keith Davis, a spokesman for the lodge.

The group of "highly-experienced skiers" was part of a larger, self-guided ski group operating out of the Burnie Glacier Chalet, which is at a 1,000 metre elevation and is accessible only by helicopter, Davis said.

On Saturday, the four skiers "skinned up" Tom George Mountain, which is part of the Howson Mountain Range, until they reached the 1,400-metre mark, said Davis.

"They were in the process of skiing down when there was an avalanche," Davis said.

"It buried three skiers. One remained on top of the snow. That person managed to dig out at least one other skier. That person he dug out survived."

According to RCMP, search and rescue arrived at the scene on Saturday. Weather conditions were severe and it began snowing heavily, however, and they weren’t able to recover the bodies.

Search and rescue teams and RCMP planned to return to the site on Sunday and begin the recovery effort once the area was deemed safe.

The victims’ next of kin have been notified but police aren’t release the names of the two skiers or which skier was recovered initially on Saturday.

The Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue group called the snow conditions in the area "extremely unusual due in part to the ground freezing prior to the snowfall."

According to Davis, the terrain is challenging. All of the skiers in the group were "very accomplished," he added, and were on a self-guided tour.

The avalanche occurred more than 1,100 kilometres north of Vancouver.