An avalanche on Sunday, April 1 at Panorama has left one woman with non life-threatening injuries, according to Columbia Valley RCMP.
The avalanche was first reported at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon. While it was at first feared up to a dozen skiers may have been caught up in the slide, Columbia Valley RCMP Staff Sgt. Marko Shehovac says that at this time it appears only two skiers were involved.
The two adult skiers were skiing “in an area known as Jessie’s Monstor near Taynton Bowl, just outside of the controlled ski area boundary for Panorama Ski Resort” Sunday afternoon, according to a press release from the RCMP. The female skier appears to have triggered the avalanche when she followed the adult male down the hill. The male skier was able to ski out of the path of the avalanche while the female was caught up in the slide. The female received no life-threatening injuries and was taken to Invermere hospital.
At the time of the call, there was an immediate concern that a group of five to six skiers was also observed in the direct area, and conflicting reports indicated that the group may have also been caught up in the avalanche. About 60 people and four search dogs combed the area for approximately four hours without turning up any signs of any other skiers. During the search, contact was made with the now safe group of five or six skiers also feared to have been caught in the avalanche, regardless the search continued until about 7 p.m. without finding any sign of additional skiers.
No other people have been reported missing or overdue.
