VANCOUVER — The bodies of two experienced backcountry skiers were recovered Monday from a northern B.C. mountain after an avalanche crashed down on them over the weekend.
Crews first blasted Tom George Mountain to stabilize the snow before heading in on skis with search dogs to locate the people who were killed on Saturday in the slide south of Smithers.
The B.C. Coroner’s Service is now investigating the deaths of a 64-year-old Canmore, Alta., man and a 52-year-old woman from Regina, whose names are not being released.
RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk says the pair were among a group of four who arrived at the Burnie Glacier Chalet by helicopter, then hiked up the mountain carrying all the right safety equipment before making their fatal descent.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams also tracked down two missing snowshoers from Quebec who spent a frigid night outdoors in the area of Beatty Mountain, near Nelson.
Police say the man and woman, both in their mid-20s, were located in relatively good condition after failing to return to their car on Sunday.