As many as eight people are feared dead after two avalanches in the B.C. Interior buried 11 snowmobilers.
Three survived, but RCMP Cpl. Andy Veltmeyer confirmed late last night eight people were still buried under the snow.
There were some fatalities, according to Jennifer Henkes, a spokeswoman with the Interior Health Authority, but she refused to say how many people were killed.
"Interior Health would like to extend its deepest condolences to the victims' families during this very difficult time for them in the Elk Valley," she said.
Three people were taken to Elk Valley Hospital, Henkes said, with two discharged yesterday and one remaining in stable condition
As many as eight people are feared dead after two avalanches in the B.C. Interior buried 11 snowmobilers.
Three survived, but RCMP Cpl. Andy Veltmeyer confirmed late last night eight people were still buried under the snow.
There were some fatalities, according to Jennifer Henkes, a spokeswoman with the Interior Health Authority, but she refused to say how many people were killed.
"Interior Health would like to extend its deepest condolences to the victims' families during this very difficult time for them in the Elk Valley," she said.
Three people were taken to Elk Valley Hospital, Henkes said, with two discharged yesterday and one remaining in stable condition
A second group of four snowmobilers heard yelling from the area and came to help the first group, who were digging out their fellow riders trapped under the snow.
As they were digging one person out, a second avalanche came down and buried the entire group.
The snowmobilers, all believed to be from Sparwood, were wearing avalanche beacons, Mounties said.
Two of the riders managed to dig themselves out within 20 minutes and used their beacons to locate a third victim.
Wayne Stamler, vice-president of the Fernie Snowmobile Association, said the area warmed up considerably yesterday, which could have contributed to the avalanche.
Rescue efforts were on hold last night while authorities wait for the area to stabilize.
Stamler said there was very little information circulating among outdoor enthusiasts in Fernie, but "everybody has their fingers crossed that everyone is safe."
The tragic incident happened just two days after the Canadian Avalanche Association issued an avalanche warning to recreational backcountry users in the South Coast and North Shore regions for the weekend.
The area received almost 30 cm of snow over the previous day and temperature rose from -30C to 0C yesterday.
A Parks Canada bulletin Saturday night stated the danger was to rise yesterday to a level of considerable danger, which means that human-triggered avalanches are probable and natural avalanches are possible.
"The name of the game is to continue to use conservative terrain choices and stay off the big features," the bulletin advised.
Stamler says the terrain in the avalanche area is dangerous and that's why he thinks the search was called off.
"Officials don't want others' safety to be jeopardized," he said
Three survived, but RCMP Cpl. Andy Veltmeyer confirmed late last night eight people were still buried under the snow.
There were some fatalities, according to Jennifer Henkes, a spokeswoman with the Interior Health Authority, but she refused to say how many people were killed.
"Interior Health would like to extend its deepest condolences to the victims' families during this very difficult time for them in the Elk Valley," she said.
Three people were taken to Elk Valley Hospital, Henkes said, with two discharged yesterday and one remaining in stable condition
As many as eight people are feared dead after two avalanches in the B.C. Interior buried 11 snowmobilers.
Three survived, but RCMP Cpl. Andy Veltmeyer confirmed late last night eight people were still buried under the snow.
There were some fatalities, according to Jennifer Henkes, a spokeswoman with the Interior Health Authority, but she refused to say how many people were killed.
"Interior Health would like to extend its deepest condolences to the victims' families during this very difficult time for them in the Elk Valley," she said.
Three people were taken to Elk Valley Hospital, Henkes said, with two discharged yesterday and one remaining in stable condition
A second group of four snowmobilers heard yelling from the area and came to help the first group, who were digging out their fellow riders trapped under the snow.
As they were digging one person out, a second avalanche came down and buried the entire group.
The snowmobilers, all believed to be from Sparwood, were wearing avalanche beacons, Mounties said.
Two of the riders managed to dig themselves out within 20 minutes and used their beacons to locate a third victim.
Wayne Stamler, vice-president of the Fernie Snowmobile Association, said the area warmed up considerably yesterday, which could have contributed to the avalanche.
Rescue efforts were on hold last night while authorities wait for the area to stabilize.
Stamler said there was very little information circulating among outdoor enthusiasts in Fernie, but "everybody has their fingers crossed that everyone is safe."
The tragic incident happened just two days after the Canadian Avalanche Association issued an avalanche warning to recreational backcountry users in the South Coast and North Shore regions for the weekend.
The area received almost 30 cm of snow over the previous day and temperature rose from -30C to 0C yesterday.
A Parks Canada bulletin Saturday night stated the danger was to rise yesterday to a level of considerable danger, which means that human-triggered avalanches are probable and natural avalanches are possible.
"The name of the game is to continue to use conservative terrain choices and stay off the big features," the bulletin advised.
Stamler says the terrain in the avalanche area is dangerous and that's why he thinks the search was called off.
"Officials don't want others' safety to be jeopardized," he said
