One person was killed Monday in an avalanche near Lake Louise, according to EMS.
Parks Canada said the avalanche was on the northeast face of Haddo Peak, at the far end of Lake Louise, and paramedics with the Banff EMS detachment said they were called to the area at about 9:30 a.m.
A preliminary report from Avalanche Canada said two people ski touring up Haddo Peak triggered a “Size 2 Avalanche, which released at an elevation of 2,950 metres on an east-facing, shallow snowpack area” at around 9 a.m.
Both people were caught in the avalanche, but one managed to “escape the flow,” Avalanche Canada said.
“The second member of the party was carried 600 metres through extreme terrain,” it said. “The survivor was able to descend, locate and then extricate their partner, who, unfortunately, was deceased.”
One person was pronounced dead at the scene and a second person originally thought to be injured wasn’t hurt, EMS said.
EMS said the pair was airlifted out of the mountains via helicopter to meet paramedics in the parking lot of the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Avalanche Canada said the avalanche was about 40 metres wide and the fracture line was 40 to 60 centimetres deep.