Kootenay avalanche kills Crawford Bay snowmobiler

An avalanche in Gray Creek Pass in B.C.'s Kootenay regionclaimed the life of a malesnowmobiler on Tuesday.

KimberleySearch and Rescue said they received reports Tuesday afternoon that two snowmobilerswere caught in an avalanche on the east side of Gray Creek Pass. One of the snowmobilers managed to get out and call for help. The other, who was in his twenties,was buried.

KimberleySAR was joined by Nelson SAR which had to fly in because the avalanche happened so far away.

Chris Armstrong with Nelson SARhas since confirmed that theburied male has died. He said both snowmobilers are believed to be from Crawford Bay, B.C., and were riding in backcountryarea.

Deadly avalanche season

The Canadian AvalancheCentre has issued special avalanche warnings for southern B.C. mountains in recent months.

Last weekend, three people died in two separate avalanches. One snowmobilerdied after being buried by an avalanche in the Monashee Mountains east of Vernon, B.C., and twosnowshoers died after getting caught in a slide near Lake Louise, Alta.

• Avalanches in B.C. and Alberta claim 3 more lives

In February, a 35-year-old male snowmobiler died after being buried in an avalanche on Boulder Mountain near Revelestoke, B.C. In a separate avalanche just days later, a 27-year-old man was killed and a 27-year-old woman was seriously injured when they were caught in an avalanche while skiing in the Lightning Strike backcountry near Kootenay Pass.

• Avalanche kills man on Boulder Mountain near Revelstoke, B.C.
• Kootenay Pass avalanche kills 1, seriously injures another

In January, a male snowmobiler died after being hit by a slide at Goat Ridge, about 30 kilometres south of Valemount, B.C.

• Snowmobiler dies in avalanche south of Valemount, B.C.