Vancouver man dies in backcountry skiing accident east of Kelowna

Police are investigating the death of a backcountry skier Monday near Keefer Lake Lodge, east of Kelowna in B.C.'s Monashee Mountains.

RCMP said in a release the skier was a 51-year-old Vancouver man who died after being separated from a 14-person cat-ski tour group.

Cat-skiing is a sportwhere ski hill grooming vehicles take skiers out into the backcountryfor their runs.

The group searched for him, police said, and discovered he had fallen into a tree well a concealed depression of deep, loose snow near the base of a tree and was unresponsive.

"Unfortunately... it was reported that the skier fell head first into the well,"said RCMPspokespersonCst. Kelly Brett. "This is a really tragic incident."

He was airlifted to hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.

Police say the death is not considered suspicious and the coroner is also investigating.

With files from Jaimie Kehler