Skier dies in avalanche near Golden, B.C.
An avalanche claimed the life of a skier in southeastern B.C., RCMP said Tuesday.
Police said they received a report at around 10 p.m. Monday of two missing men who had been skiing in the mountains southeast of the town of Golden — located more than 260 kilometres west of Calgary — and were last heard from at 5:30 p.m.
The man had to leave his skiing companion at the location to ensure his own safe return. Search-and-rescue crews used a helicopter to retrieve his remains.
RCMP say one man has died following an avalanche near Golden, B.C. (Avalanche Canada)
An incident report on the Avalanche Canada website says the first of two skiers triggered a Size 2 avalanche on Kapristo Mountain.
Avalanches are rated on a five-point scale by destructive potential, ranging from Size 1, which is relatively harmless, to Size 5, which could destroy a village. A Size 2 avalanche is big enough to bury, injure or kill a person.
"The avalanche funnelled into a confined gulley and ran 990 metres in length," said the report.
Police say they are assisting the B.C. Coroners Service in an investigation.
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This article was originally published for CBC News.