Saskatchewan man, 36, dead after B.C. avalanche

A 36-year-old man from Lloydminster, Sask., died in a backcountry avalanche off B.C.'s North Thompson Valley Friday night.

Clearwater RCMP said that two men who were with a group of snowmobilers were buried in the avalanche that happened at around 7:20 p.m. PT in the back bowl of Redsand Mountain, about a two-hour drive down the road from Jasper, Alberta.

The other snowmobilers began digging, and pulled one man out alive. The other man died at the scene.

Search and rescue volunteers along with the B.C. Coroners Service were not able to reach the avalanche site Friday night due to the high risk of triggering another slide.

Instead, a coroner, two avalanche technicians and members of Clearwater search and rescue flew in by helicopter Saturday morning.

Redsand Mountain is near the community of Blue River, which is approximately 210 kilometres by highway from Jasper, Alta., and 230 kilometres northeast of Kamloops, B.C. along Highway 5.