A heli-skiing company based in Golden is confirming that a guest snowboarder died Saturday, while on a guided expedition in the Columbia Mountains, due to a tree well incident.
In a release sent to Black Press Media, Great Canadian Heli-Skiing (GCH) reported that the single fatality occurred March 14 in the northern Selkirk Mountains.
Wells under a tree’s branches don’t get as much snow as their surroundings, resulting in holes or loose snow around the tree trunk that can endanger recreationists.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the individual who passed away,” read the release, which was prepared by PR agency Coast Communications and Public Affairs.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected — their loved ones, our guests, and our entire team. The sorrow we feel is beyond words, and it is shared by every member of the Great Canadian Heli-Skiing family.”
READ: Avalanche kills man heli-skiing in Selkirk Mountains with Revelstoke company
Golden & District Hospital and local authorities were engaged in the emergency response after the skier was extracted from the backcountry.
Const. Donna Freeman of Golden-Field RCMP told Black Press Media the incident happened around 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time on Saturday. The victim was a 71-year-old male visiting from the U.S., Freeman reported, with a notification pending as of Monday, March 16, for his next of kin.
“The guests and guides who ski with us each season are part of our family,” GCH added. “Ensuring the safety of our guests, staff, and guides is the most important work we do and our highest priority.”
However, the company said it’s impossible to eliminate 100 per cent of risk when heli- or backcountry skiing. Tree well incidents are known to be a serious hazard, GCH noted, and its team “trains extensively for rapid response.”
“Ensuring the safety of our guests, staff, and guides is the most important work we do and our highest priority,” it said.
GCH shared that it’s cooperating with the BC Coroners Service (BCCS) and RCMP as they investigate the death.
Michaela Konken, public relations consultant for Coast Communications, confirmed that the company has resumed heli-ski operations since Sunday, March 15, after pausing tours the rest of Saturday following the incident.
Golden-Field RCMP remains engaged with the BCCS in its investigation.
“It was a backcountry snowboarding death,” Freeman said. “There’s no criminality that has been identified, from the RCMP standpoint.”
For now, GCH guests are being offered counselling and support from a critical incident stress management team, which engages skiers after traumatic events, according to the release. Leading this response is HeliCat Canada, which represents the country’s heli-ski sector.
In a separate release provided by Coast Communications, HeliCat Canada said it offers its deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends and is extending full support to GCH.
“Although we know there are risks to activities like heli-skiing, as there are risks for the many activities that we love and enjoy in the backcountry, it does not decrease our sadness and sense of loss when an accident occurs,” HeliCat Canada said.
“Our priority is providing assistance and support to everyone who was affected, and we are actively doing that.”
READ: Canada’s mountain guide industry speaks to safety after Revelstoke heli-skier death
GCH runs its main operations out of Heather Mountain Lodge, 55 kilometres west of Golden along the Trans-Canada Highway. It flies and guides guests around the Selkirk and Purcell mountains between Golden and Revelstoke, taking groups of up to four to ski an average of 7,170 vertical metres per day, down 12 to 16 different runs.
Its ski tenure, mostly north of Glacier National Park, spans 700 square kilometres and ranges between 1,833 and 3,000 metres in elevation. Up to 14 metres of snow accumulates here each winter.
HeliCat Canada has written about the dangers of tree wells for heli-skiers. It says threats include falling headfirst into the well, suffocating, or getting injured by striking the tree.
Tree well incidents are best avoided by skiing well clear of trees in deep snow, HeliCat Canada advises.
Guidance on how to rescue or be rescued from a tree well is available at helicat.org/safety-risk-awareness/2021/2/11/tree-well-dangers.