UPDATE: Missing ice climbers found dead near Pemberton

WATCH: Search crews from Pemberton have now recovered the bodies of three climbers — two females and a male from near Joffre Peak. Reporter Ted Chernecki has more.

UPDATE Jan. 13: Rescue crews have located the bodies of three ice climbers who were reported missing earlier today. The bodies were located approximately 300 metres below the main couloir at Joffre peak.

They have now been identified as Elena Cernicka, aged 35, of North Vancouver; Neil Charles Mackenzie, aged 31, and Stephanie Grothe, aged 30. Mackenzie and Grothe were living in Vancouver. Mackenzie was originally from Scotland and Grothe was from Germany.

James Day, a UBC research associate and friend of Grothe, said he was in disbelief after finding out about Gothe’s death. Gothe was attending UBC as a graduate student completing her PhD.

“Everyone’s first description of Stephanie was that she loved the outdoors,” Day told Global News. 

Previous story – Jan. 12:

One ice climber is dead and two more are missing in the Pemberton area.

Whistler RCMP and Pemberton Search and Rescue became aware of the situation at about 01:30 this morning.

Crews were not able to access the area due to the time of the report, but began the search with the help of a helicopter at first light this morning in the area of Joffre Mountain, east of Pemberton.

The ice climbers were part of a group of climbers and skiers. The group had made plans to rendezvous at the end of the day, and when the climbers did not arrive the skiers went looking for them.

“From the information we have it appears that one climber may have suffered a fall, while the other two are unaccounted for,” said Sgt. Knapton with Whistler RCMP in a release.

The names of the ice climbers are not being released at this time, but police say they are a man and a woman, both in their mid-30s from the Lower Mainland, and a female international visitor in her late 20s.   Information at this time suggests that they were experienced in the backcountry.