Banff skiers buried, injured in avalanches near Bow Hut

Three backcountry skiers have been injured after agroup of eighttriggered avalanches on their way to Bow Hut in Banff National Park Friday evening.

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One of the skiers was completely buried and another suffered a broken leg after being partially buried, a Parks Canada spokesperson said in a release Saturday.

A third skier was also partially buried and suffered a knee injury.

Eleven skiers in total had planned to spend several days at Bow Hut, on the Wapta Icefield north of Lake Louise.

The groupreached Parks Canada by satellite phone at 6 p.m. Friday.

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"Serious avalanche conditions" made rescue after sunset impossible so a helicopter airlifted the injured skier just before 9 a.m. Saturday to Banff paramedics waiting at Bow Lake, Parks Canada said.

The rest of group was evacuated later in the morning.