A search and rescue helicopter heads toward the area where
a large avalanche struck near Revelstoke, British Columbia.
(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)
An avalanche has struck an informal snowmobile rally in
Canada's Rocky Mountains, killing at least three people and
leaving an unknown number missing at an annual gathering best
known for its party atmosphere and stunt riding.
Rescuers resumed scouring remote Boulder Mountain at daybreak
on Sunday (local time) after halting the search overnight.
Police also conducted a door-to-door search of hotel rooms
early Sunday to piece together how many people were missing
from the Big Iron Shoot Out rally.
Revelstoke Mayor David Raven said an avalanche warning had
been in place for three weeks.
"A fresh snowfall overnight exacerbated that warning. I know
people have been cautioned again and again," Raven told CTV
Newsnet.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said three people are
confirmed dead, but do not know how many are unaccounted for.
Raven said more than 20 people were treated for injuries on
Saturday after being airlifted off the mountain.
Four of the injured were transferred to larger hospitals due
to the severity of their injuries, Cathy Renkes of Interior
Health said.
Authorities said up to 200 people were on the mountain when
the slide struck around 3:30pm local time on Saturday. The
Big Iron Shoot Out is an annual unsanctioned but increasingly
popular informal gathering of people who enjoy snowmobiling
in the deep snow of backcountry British Columbia.
Kathy Berlingette, owner of the Smokey Bear Campground Resort
in the area, said the event was in a remote place and
everyone involved had to drive their snowmobiles out to get
there.
She said the slide occurred in a place called Turbo Bowl, at
the foot of the mountain, and a group of people, including
parents with children, had gathered to watch the snowmobiles
go up the hill when the avalanche broke through.
"One fellow that I was talking to said that it resembled a
war zone," Berlingette said.
Berlingette said she had five guests who came to town for the
rally, and all survived the avalanche.
One survivor who came from Fort St. John, in northern British
Columbia, for the rally described a "big white wall of snow"
coming down on his group of about 20 to 30 snowmobilers.
The man, who did not want to give his name, said they saw the
slide coming and had only a few seconds to react. He dove
behind his snowmobile, and ended up partially buried. Members
of his group dug him out.
The avalanche occurred near Revelstoke, about 300 kilometers
(185 miles) west of Calgary and about 400 kilometers (250
miles) northeast of Vancouver.
Search and rescue teams, including helicopters and
avalanche-trained dogs, were called in from around British
Columbia and Calgary, said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
The Canadian Avalanche Centr eissued a warning for the region
for Saturday and Sunday, after a powerful storm blanketed the
area with snow.
Greg Johnson, from the avalanche center, said at the time
that there was danger that the snow would overload weak
layers in the upper snowpack.
Adam Burke, 20, a member of the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club,
said his mother and many of his friends were up on the
mountain when the avalanche struck. His mother was safe, but
at least one family friend was unaccounted for.
Burke said he chose not to go to the rally because of the
dangerous conditions in the mountains this weekend.
"I told everyone to shut the mountain down. ... I told my mom
... don't have anything to do with this event."
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