1 killed in 2nd deadly Canadian avalanche
REVELSTOKE, British Columbia (AP) - Rescue crews resumed their search Saturday in British Columbia's mountainous backcountry for any more victims after the region's second deadly avalanche hit in less than a week, killing one snowmobiler.
The slide struck around 3:30 p.m. Friday while snowmobilers were riding in the deep backcountry snow on Eagle Pass Mountain near Revelstoke, British Columbia.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said Saturday that there were groups of people at the base of the mountain at the time who may have been caught in the slide.
Moskaluk said it was a Category 4 avalanche, which the Canadian Avalanche Centre lists as its second-largest rating.
The avalanche center's Web site says an avalanche of that size can have a mass of 10,000 tons, travel two kilometers (1.24 miles) and would be powerful enough to destroy a railway car or several buildings.
Friday's slide came only hours after the center released a report about another avalanche that struck on March 13 at nearby Boulder Mountain, killing two people and injuring 31.
The less-powerful avalanche was triggered during an informal snowmobile rally know as the Big Iron Shoot-Out that about 200 people attended.
The report warned that last week's avalanche could have been disastrous.
"The only reason this accident has not gone down in the history books as Canada's worst avalanche accident is luck, coupled with the quick initial response. Without either, the outcome of this incident would have been much worse," the report said.
The center said last weekend's slide was almost certainly caused by people, citing witnesses who said snowmobilers were high-marking - a contest between riders to see who can race up a slope and leave the highest mark.
High-marking has been blamed for other avalanches in the past and Moskaluk said Friday's avalanche was likely caused by similar events.
The British Columbia interior has been hit with heavy snow and temperature fluctuations in the past few weeks, which have led to severe avalanche warnings from experts.
The slide struck around 3:30 p.m. Friday while snowmobilers were riding in the deep backcountry snow on Eagle Pass Mountain near Revelstoke, British Columbia.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Dan Moskaluk said Saturday that there were groups of people at the base of the mountain at the time who may have been caught in the slide.
Moskaluk said it was a Category 4 avalanche, which the Canadian Avalanche Centre lists as its second-largest rating.
The avalanche center's Web site says an avalanche of that size can have a mass of 10,000 tons, travel two kilometers (1.24 miles) and would be powerful enough to destroy a railway car or several buildings.
Friday's slide came only hours after the center released a report about another avalanche that struck on March 13 at nearby Boulder Mountain, killing two people and injuring 31.
The less-powerful avalanche was triggered during an informal snowmobile rally know as the Big Iron Shoot-Out that about 200 people attended.
The report warned that last week's avalanche could have been disastrous.
"The only reason this accident has not gone down in the history books as Canada's worst avalanche accident is luck, coupled with the quick initial response. Without either, the outcome of this incident would have been much worse," the report said.
The center said last weekend's slide was almost certainly caused by people, citing witnesses who said snowmobilers were high-marking - a contest between riders to see who can race up a slope and leave the highest mark.
High-marking has been blamed for other avalanches in the past and Moskaluk said Friday's avalanche was likely caused by similar events.
The British Columbia interior has been hit with heavy snow and temperature fluctuations in the past few weeks, which have led to severe avalanche warnings from experts.