The third B.C. snowmobile death in three days was reported on Tuesday, Dec. 28, as a 43-year-old man from Maple Ridge was swept away in an avalanche while touring off the Coquihalla Highway. Roughly 10 members of his group started a search immediately, while another headed to an area with cell phone reception to call for help.
The male was wearing an avalanche transceiver and was located quickly, but it took 15 minutes to dig him out. His rescuers attempted CPR but he did not recover.
The incident was the third snowmobile fatality reported in three days.
In Elko, near Fernie, a 44-year-old was killed on Dec. 27 after his snowmobile collided with a wooden ramp on the Burton Lake Road, an area used by BMX riders and mountain bikers in the summer.
On Dec. 26, a 44-year-old man from Prince George died after a collision with another snowmobiler. The accident happened on Eena Lake as the man was crossing an island.
