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Date: 2002-02-10
Submitted By: WWAN via canada.com
Place: Jasper National Park
State: AB
Country: CANADA
Fatalities: 1
Summary: 1 snowboarder caught, buried, and killed wearing a transciever
An Official report will be posted from the CAA
When it is submitted.
****MEDIA REPORT****
Please visit www.canada.com
Avalanche in Jasper National Park kills
snow boarder, two others escape
Canadian Press
Sunday, February 10, 2002
JASPER, Alta. (CP) - A snow
boarder was killed when he
was caught in a large
avalanche in the back country
of Jasper National Park on
Sunday, a park official
confirmed. Two others
escaped the avalanche and
tried to help the buried snow
boarder, but were unable to
find him for about 20 to 25
minutes, said Steve Blake,
public safety specialist with the
park's warden service.
They finally found the snow
boarder under about two
metres of snow, but were
unable to resusitate him,
Blake said.
The three snow boarders, all in their mid 20s, were fully equipped with
avalanche safety equipment, including transceivers and shovels.
"They were taking reasonable precautions given the terrain they were in,"
Blake said.
The slide occurred at an area known as Whistler Creek near Jasper's popular
Marmot Basin ski area.
"They used the ski lifts to get up a little higher and then they accessed the
back country," Blake said. "They were not in the ski area. They made a
conscious decision to enter the back country area of the park."
The avalanche danger was rated as considerable at the time, said Blake.
Edmonton resident Bruce Dickson, 44, was driving down from the ski hill at
Marmot Basin just before 4 p.m. Sunday.
"I thought avalanche when I saw the national parks vehicles go up (the hill),"
Dickson said.
"We passed an RCMP car . . . followed shortly behind by an ambulance, and
both vehicles had their emergency lights on. There were two parks vehicles
with their lights and sirens on."
Dickson said there were some large buildups of snow on the ridge.
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