Fernie Search and Rescue (SAR) was activated on January 27 after receiving a report of an injured skier.
According to Fernie SAR, the 22 year old male from the Fernie area was part of a group of six skiers who were based out of Tunnel Creek cabin. The group was involved in “an avalanche triggered by a cornice in the 1942 Chute area.”
The one injured skier sustained a chest injury after falling approximately 200 metres through what SAR referred to as “challenging terrain.”
Fortunately, the group of skiers was well prepared and was able to call for help as well as begin evacuating their injured friend. Fernie SAR responded with two SAR techs on snowmobiles and a helicopter. The injured skier was “brought out to BCAS on the highway via snowmobile,” according to Fernie SAR.
“While this rescue would have been made quicker and simpler had we been able to use our longline rescue capability, it was a good reminder that wilderness rescue depends on the resources available on any particular day,” Fernie SAR reported in a Facebook post.
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