Deadly B.C. avalanche highlights heli-skiing risk, but industry stresses safety
Avalanche Canada says it has no intention of regulating backcountry access
The deaths of three people in an avalanche in B.C.'s Interior have highlighted the risks associated with backcountry skiing, as forecasters have warned conditions this season are particularly dangerous.
RCMP said the group of heli-skiers was swept away by the avalanche not far from the Panorama Mountain Resort, about 150 kilometres southwest of Banff, Alta.
SEE ALSO: Why March is so dangerous when it comes to avalanches
Police said everyone in the group has been accounted for, with four injured who are expected to recover.
The slide came down in an area outside of the Panorama resort's boundaries. The group was on a tour with RK Heliski, a local company founded decades ago.
The trade organization that sets the standards for heli-skiing says the industry has a "robust regulatory environment," while Avalanche Canada says it has no intention to regulate backcountry access, saying education and training are the keys to safely enjoying the outdoors.
Backcountry not being closed
Asked whether access to the backcountry should be closed for the sake of safety, B.C. Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma said the province is in contact with Avalanche Canada and is "ready to act as advised."
She notes the agency has a five-point danger scale to measure backcountry risk. It currently defines the risk in the province as considerable, Ma says, and have upgraded their warning levels to high in some areas.
Avalanche Canada forecaster Zoe Ryan says its mandate is to empower people with information and training to stay safe from avalanches.
"We do not intend to, nor will we ever, regulate backcountry access," Ryan said.
She says outdoor enthusiasts can safely use the backcountry with proper knowledge and training.
"There are times where we will tell people to avoid avalanche terrain, but we will never tell people to stay out of the backcountry."
WATCH: Canada keeps highways safe with avalanche control unlike any other
'Challenging year' for sector
Tom Brinkerhoff, president of RK Heliski, told the media on Thursday it was the "saddest day ever,'' saying guests and guides who ski with them each season are part of their family.
"It is impossible to put into words the sorrow that we feel and the sadness that is shared by our guests, their families and all of our staff,'' said Brinkerhoff.
Wednesday's deaths come after a pair of brothers from Pennsylvania died after being caught in a slide near Revelstoke, B.C., about 200 kilometres northeast of Kelowna, while on a guided heli-skiing tour in January.
Around 44,000 heli-skiers hit B.C.'s remote mountain slopes every year, according to HeliCat Canada, the trade organization representing helicopter and snowcat ski operations. The season runs from mid-December through the end of April, employing roughly 3,000 staff.
To heli-ski, small groups of skiers are flown by helicopter to the starting point of their ski run on a mountaintop, or transported on a snowcat, a massive vehicle with caterpillar tracks designed to operate on snow and carry up to 12 guests.
A three-run day package starts at around $1,000 per person or as much as $14,000 for a more luxurious private package.
In a statement posted to its Facebook page, HeliCat Canada acknowledged it has been a "challenging year for our sector."
It says the industry has a "sophisticated and robust regulatory environment" of four interconnected but separate organizations that aim to ensure the industry "self-manages, like many other industries do, to the highest possible standards."
HeliCat Canada says it sets operating standards and is responsible for inspection audits and an accreditation process for the sector. Operators go through an audit every five years.
The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and the Canadian Ski Guide Association offer training and accreditation for guides, HeliCat Canada says. Guides are also members of the Canadian Avalanche Association (CAA), which offers training and certification. The CAA works with Avalanche Canada to use data to supply public advisories about the backcountry.
The organization acknowledges that risk remains.
WATCH: Spring ushers in new challenges for B.C. Ski Patrol
"Like many outdoor activities, it's impossible to eliminate 100 per cent of the risk, but our industry does its best to mitigate it with our world-class knowledge and expertise to ensure guests can enjoy the beauty and unique experience of helicopter and snowcat skiing," it said.
Ryan says there has been an "exponential increase" in backcountry users over the past 10 years, "but avalanche fatalities have decreased in recent years," something she chalks up to improved education and training around avalanches.
Thumbnail courtesy of CBC.
The story was originally published for CBC News. It contains files from The Canadian Press.