Historical Incidents

Incident Summary

Date

2017-03-04

Location

Hanging Lake, Callaghan Valley near Whistler

Location Description

Province

BC

Coordinates

50.14907 °, -123.08210 °

Elevation

1600 m

Activity

Backcountry Skiing

Involvement

1

Injury

0

Fatality

1

Description

One skier was fully buried in an avalanche that occurred on a slope above Hanging Lake, approximately 10 km northwest of Whistler. The avalanche was reported as a size 2.5, 100-150 m wide, running 400 m, with a crown depth of 80-100 cm. The avalanche occurred on a northwest aspect and slid on a layer of facets over a crust. The victim was the third of a party of six to descend the slope. No other party members were caught in the slide. The victim was located at an elevation of 1400 m; the elevation of the start zone was approximately 1600 m. The victim was washed through a stand of trees during the descent. Rescuers were unable to locate the victim using a transceiver search, despite the victim having a transceiver on their person. The transceiver, worn in a hip pocket, was found with the switch in the “search” position, for reasons unknown at this time. The victim deployed an avalanche balloon pack, but it was found to have sustained significant damage. The victim did not employ the pack’s crotch strap. Nearby parties as well as search and rescue assisted with the rescue and a probe line was established. The victim was eventually located with the help of a rescue dog approximately four hours after the avalanche occurred. CPR was initiated but the victim was pronounced deceased by a doctor on site.