Kootenay Pass avalanche kills 1, seriously injures another

A man was killedand a woman wasseriously injured after being caught in an avalanche in a popular backcountry ski area in the Kootenay Pass area on Sunday.

The two skiers, both 27yearsold, were with two others from the Nelson, B.C., area, skiing in the Lightning Strike backcountry area when the avalanche struck at around 1 p.m. PT.

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Search and Rescue crews said Sunday afternoon that the weather was too poor to fly a helicopters into the high mountain area near Stagleap Provincial Park, off B.C.'s Highway 3 between Salmo and Creston.

A team of about 26 search and rescue members attempted a ski-in rescue instead Sunday night.

Crews managed to reach the pair, who had been dragged over boulders and trees,between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. PT.

The woman was pulled out immediately. She had serious injuries and was taken to Trail Regional Hospital.

The body of themanwas left on site and was to be recoveredon Monday morning.

The Revelstoke-based Canadian Avalanche Centre issued a special avalanche warning this weekend, saying that there issignificant potential for large, destructive avalanchesin mostB.C. mountainregions.

Recent heavy snowissitting on a layer of weak snow, making for extremely dangerous conditions andno one should go into the backcountry without avalanche survival gear, the avalanche centre said.

Map: Twin Lakes, Lightning Strike skiarea