A police officer has died and another is critically injured after they were caught in an avalanche near Kaslo in B.C.’s West Kootenay Region on Monday afternoon.
The officer has been identified by the City of Nelson and the Nelson Police Department as Wade Tittemore, age 43.
In a statement, the city and police said Const. Tittemore “was a valued member of the Nelson City Police for over four years. “(He) was an avid backcountry enthusiast who loved skiing, hiking, and backpacking. He moved to Nelson from Calgary, where he served with the Calgary Police Service for 11 years. (He) has a wife and two sons.”
A second officer, Mathieu Nolet, age 28, was seriously injured in the avalanche and was in a local hospital where he remained in the ICU officials confirmed.
A GoFundMe has now been set up for Tittemore’s family and to aid in Nolet’s recovery.
Both officers were skiing when the incident occurred, the Nelson Police Board said. They had previously ridden snowmobiles to the area before getting on skis. Neither of the officers was working at the time.
“Nelson is one of the smallest municipal police forces in Canada, and we are like one big family. The impact of the death of Constable Tittemore has a profound effect on the force and our community,” Chief Donovan Fisher said in a release. “Our deepest condolences go out to his family.”
By email, BC Emergency Health Services confirmed it received a call from Kaslo Search and Rescue in response to the avalanche at 1:09 p.m. on Monday.
Paramedics met a search and rescue helicopter at the Nelson Airport and transported one patient to the hospital, it said.
Global News has spoken with Mayor Janice Morisson, who offered her condolences to the family.
Supports are in place through the City of Nelson and the Nelson Police Department to assist grieving employees and their families.
The public is invited to email their condolences to Tittemore’s family at condolences@nelson.ca.
In a statement Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said “our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of the off-duty Nelson police officer killed yesterday in an avalanche while snowmobiling near Kaslo.
“On behalf of all British Columbians, we send our deepest condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy. Our thoughts are also with the officer who was critically injured, and we wish them well as they begin to recover.
“We want to thank the agencies and first responders who have helped with the rescue operation. As always, they stepped up quickly to help, and we thank them for their efforts.
“This is a tremendous loss for Nelson and for policing in British Columbia, and we are here to support the Nelson Police Department and the City of Nelson in this difficult time.”
The tragedy comes after a non-profit organization dedicated to public avalanche safety warned British Columbians of “considerable” and “moderate” risk of avalanches early in the week.
The Avalanche Canada website now estimates the destructive power of the slide that hit the two snowmobilers was almost enough to bury a car, destroy a small building or break trees.
It had warned the Kootenays and Kaslo were at moderate risk of avalanches on Monday, as were the western Fraser Valley and Okanagan, the northwestern coast and interior from Kitimat to Iskut, and the south-central interior west of Merritt. A considerable risk rating, meanwhile, was given to the Sea-to-Sky region, the North Shore and the Sunshine Coast, where snow, wind and rain on Sunday night may have created fresh slabs that were reactive to human triggers.
The risk level was expected to decrease by Wednesday.
A considerable risk rating means conditions are dangerous, and, while natural avalanches are possible, human-triggered avalanches are likely. Avalanches large and small are expected. A moderate risk level means a heightened risk on certain terrain, with natural avalanches unlikely.
With files from The Canadian Press and Global BC’s Elizabeth McSheffrey
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