Avalanche near McBride kills 5 snowmobilers, say RCMP

An avalanchenear McBride, B.C., has killed fivesnowmobilers, saylocal authorities.

RCMPsay they were notified of two separate GPS beaconactivationsin theRenshawarea east of McBridearound 1:30 p.m. PT, at which point they activated theRobsonValley Search and Rescue Team.

There were at least three separate groups of snowmobilers caught in the slide, say RCMP. Six to eight people lost their snowmobiles and had to be shuttled off the mountain.

"We are a small and mostly tight-knit community," McBride Coun. Sharon Reichert said.

"We live in a rugged country where many in the community enjoy the outdoors. That comes with danger, and today, our worst fears have been realized."

RCMP saidsearch and rescuetechnicians were on the scenealmost immediately,and a helicopter was deployed.

DonitaKuzma, theregionalcoroner with theBC Coroners Service, said police conductedinterviews with people as they came down the mountain to see if there were any othersnowmobilersstillmissing.

"It's a very busy time of year withsnowmobilers," saidKuzma, adding that there were many of them in the area for the weekend.

BC Emergency Health Services said it also transported one person to hospital in stable condition.

Avalanche kills 5 in B.C.

9 years ago

Duration 0:56

An avalanche killed 5 snowmobilers near McBride, B.C.

Human-triggeredavalanche

Avalanche Canada said it hadreceived a report of what appears to be a "very large, significant avalanche event" in the NorthRockies.

"There are layers of concern in thesnowpackin many parts of this region (and others) and a fairly significant weather event added rain and snow to thesnowpackover the last few days," said KarlKlassenwith Avalanche Canada.

"This may have produced stresses in thesnowpackcapable of producing large avalanches and this condition could take several days to settle and bond."

Klassensaid the avalanche was human-triggered.