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1 buried after skiers trigger avalanche near Lake Louise

An avalanche on Mount Hector in Alberta on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020.
An avalanche on Mount Hector in Alberta on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. Courtesy: Avalanche Canada

UPDATE: Woman dies after being caught in avalanche in Banff National Park while skiing

One person was buried after a group of skiers set off an avalanche on Mount Hector, near Lake Louise, on Friday, according to Avalanche Canada.

The agency said three skiers triggered the rush of snow on the mountain, near Highway 93, at around 2 p.m.

It is believed a skier was under the snow for about 45 minutes and that friends assisted in digging her out.

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STARS said it was called out to the scene around 3:30 p.m. and took a 32-year-old woman to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary in critical condition, arriving at 5 p.m. — but her condition is unknown.

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Both Avalanche Canada and Parks Canada said Friday’s avalanche was 2.5 on the scale from one to five.

Parks Canada reminded visitors to check terrain conditions before heading out.

“Problems within the snowpack are complex and will likely persist for some time,” Parks Canada said in the Friday avalanche bulletin. “There is great skiing, but now is the time for conservative decision making.”

The forecast bulletin said Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks “will see a small pulse of snow on Saturday, up to five [centimetres] with moderate winds,” adding that the deep freeze — with temperatures of -25 C or colder — starts Sunday.

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