Avalanche kills backcountry skier in Glacier National Park

A 38-year-old Revelstoke man was killed by anavalanche he triggered whilebackcountry skiing in Glacier National Park on Sunday, theB.C. Coroners Service has confirmed.

Jason Chad Westbury was with two other skiers in the saddle area, or col, at Mount Sifton at around 2:00 p.m. PT when he decided to test the conditions in the bowl on his own, say police.

As histwo companions waited near the top of the ridge, the avalanche swept him away and buried him.

His companions found him and dughim out. While one stayed with him, performing CPR, the other skied out to Rogers Pass to get help from the Parks Canada station.

Park staff membersand avalanche expertsflew out by helicopter to the avalanche area, but Revelstoke RCMP Sgt. J.M. Olsensaid Westbury couldn't be resuscitated, and died on the mountain.

Avalanche claimed snowmobiler near Kimberley

It was the second death inB.C's Kootenay region due to an avalanche over the weekend aftera group of seven snowmobilers were caught inan avalanche in the Hellroaring Creek area west of Kimberley, on Saturday.

The man who died was buried in the slide, and due to the size of the slide and stability issues, crews could not reach his body until Sunday afternoon. His identity has not yet been released.

A snowmobiler died in an avalanche inthe same general area in 2009, and a skier was badly injured ina Hellroaring Creek avalanche last year.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre hadissued a special warning for northern and inland B.C.for the weekend, and said that even in inviting sunny weather, backcountry users should continue to be extra cautious.

Barb McLintock, spokeswoman with the BC Coroners Service saysbackcountry users can equip themselves to respond to avalanches, but should also consider altering or deferring their plans.

"We really want to encourage people who are going into the backcountry at this time of year to use extreme care,"she said.

"One of the main things to do, before you even think about going:go to the Canadian Avalanche Centre's website."

RCMP in Revelstoke reported that the avalanche at Mount Sifton was rated as a size 2.5, and the hazard rating in the alpine was "considerable" at the time.