Search for a snowmobiler, gone missing in an avalanche last weekend has been “scaled back” after efforts to locate him have proved fruitless.
The decision to remove search resources came on Saturday February 8.
Authorities believe the 31-year-old Fort St. John man was buried in an avalanche, triggered on Sunday February 2.
According to the RCMP, “Search and rescue volunteers from Prince George, Tumbler Ridge, Fort St. John and Chetwynd all deployed, alongside upwards of three RCMP Police Service Dogs from all areas of the province to assist in the ground search. The search was also supported from the air by a RCMP helicopter and other local helicopter companies.”
While the man has yet to be found, Searchers managed to recover the missing man’s snowmobile, which has since been removed from the area.
Search efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions throughout the week, says the RCMP, “This prevented searchers from safely accessing the area on both Wednesday and Thursday. A controlled blasting was necessary in order to deem the area safe for searchers to re-gain access on Friday February 7 and then again on Saturday February 8.”
RCMP Air Services were transported search and rescue technicians trained in high risk avalanche rescues, along with RCMP Police Services Dogs to the remote site of the slide.
The search was also supported by a canine trained by the Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog Association (CARDA).Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for The RCMP asks back country users to avoid the area of the slide. “We discourage others from searching the area, due to the high level of risk for additional avalanches being triggered.”
Sledders are also cautioned to take care elsewhere in the Northern Rockies, as avalanche danger is considerable, and expected to rise on Thursday as new snow will bury a week layer of hoar frost, increasing the risk of avalanches.
