Spanish skiers rescued after 4 days lost in B.C. mountains

RCMPin Golden B.C. say two skiers from Spain survived after spending four nights on their own outsidenear Kicking Horse Mountain Resortnear the Alberta border.

Police have not named the pair but say the 43-year-old woman and41-year-old man were found by Golden and District Search and Rescue around noon in a backcountry area known as Canyon Creek.

"The two had mistakenly entered the area, became lost, and spent four days attempting to find their way out," said Const. Spencer Lainchbury.

The couple were reported missing by their accommodation provideron Sunday morning after they failed to check outthe day before.

Kicking Horse Mountain Resortis 145 km west of Banff and 270 km west of Calgary.

The SAR outfit flewa helicopter over the area and says the couple managed to wave down the aircraft.

"They were cold, hungry and thirsty and grateful to have been found," wrote Lisa Roddickin an email.

The pairwere flown back to the base of the resort's ski hill and were taken to hospital. They have since been released.

Not prepared

Lainchbury said the pair suffered minor injuries.

Lainchbury said the weather over the four nights was more mild than in past weeks, with nighttime lows around 10 C.

Still, he says the pair was unprepared to be outside overnight and hadn't told anyone when to expect them back.

In 2009, a Montreal woman died after spending 10 days in the same back country area where the Spanish skiers were lost. Her husband survived.

• Montrealer dies, husband survives after lost 10 days near B.C. ski resort