Alexandre Labonté went missing while sledding near Revelstoke last week. He was found dead the following morning by local search and rescue.
Labonté was sledding on Mount MacPherson, which overlooks the City of Revelstoke. He was sledding with a friend, but became separated. Friends searched for Labonté, but to no avail. He was reported missing in the afternoon of Feb. 12.
The Revelstoke Search and Rescue searched until midnight and resumed the next morning with assistance from each the Salmon Arm and Golden Search and Rescue.
READ MORE: Missing snowmobiler near Revelstoke found dead
Labonté was an avid sledder and mountain biker.
Labonté’s Facebook has many posts from friends and family.
“Alex was the only friend I could persuade to come biking with me in torrential rain and take a lake dip on a cold November morning, just because it was my birthday and that’s what I wanted to do,” writes Ruby Morrissey.
“I will miss you, your good mood and your contagious smile, our getaway in the wild, you were my best guide to hike…Ride in peace,” writes Ugslasho LM.
Alex Cadotte, friend of Labonté, wants to remind other sledders to ride with a partner and stay close together. Radios and beacons do not always save people. Accidents can happen to everyone, even the best. Cadotte said Labonté was an excellent snowmobiler.
“Alexandre prove us that even the best sledders can get stuck badly and the only thing that will save you is the guy riding close to you,” he wrote on Facebook.
The B.C. Coroners Service said they are investigating the circumstances surrounding Labonté’s “sudden death,” trying to determine the how, where, when and by what means he came to his unexpected demise.
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