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selkirk avalanche fatality


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Police release name of American Skier killed in Back Country Avalanche

 

Revelstoke RCMP have now identified the American skier who died in yesterdays avalanche accident 50 kms east of Revelstoke.

 

Deceased is : Richard Theodore KERR (46) of Aspen, Colorado

 

Background Information:

 

Police have commenced a Coroner’s investigation into the death which occurred approximately 50 km ( 30 miles) east of Revelstoke in the Albert Canyon ( Mount Justin/ Mount Devine area) shortly after noon today ( 2004-01-08) . A group of 10 American back country skiers ( 2 females and 8 males, accompanied by two Selkirk Lodge staff and one guide ) were skiing approximately 500 meters from the back-country lodge when a small avalanche ( a size 2 avalanche) occurred taking the victim down the mountain. The size of the avalanche was approximately 80 metres wide and ran for 1000 feet. The victim was swept down by the slide and struck a tree where he sustained severe upper body trauma.

 

The incident occurred at the 7200 foot level of the mountain. The skiing group immediately initiated a rescue by calling Revelstoke where a helicopter and rescue guides from the companies Selkirk Tangiers and Selkirk Mountain Helicopters were dispatched. A doctor and the mountain guide in the skiing party immediately initiated medical aid to the victim at the scene. The victim was airlifted to Revelstoke and pronounced dead at Queen Victoria Hospital. All of the ski party are Americans from the State of Colorado and all stayed at the Selkirk Lodge overnight. None of the other skiers were involved in the avalanche or harmed.

This event occurred during a back-country ski holiday. The skiers are flown into the area for 6-7 days where they stay at a remote mountain lodge from which they ski tour to various runs. At the conclusion of the stay the clients are then flown back to the community of departure which is Revelstoke.

 

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Update:

 

An investigation team from the Revelstoke RCMP Detachment has interviewed most of the witnesses in this incident. They have determined that the group of skiers were on a run called the Martin Run which is a short distance from the lodge. The group had left the lodge earlier and were on their 3rd run of the day when this incident occurred. The group has ascended to a start point where the mountain guide instructed the group to remain to the skiers’ right of the ski area. The guide descended safely first with instructions for the group to follow one at a time in single file, keeping to the right. The deceased was the first one to begin his descent however he proceeded skiers’ left,a significant distance from where he was instructed to ski by the guide. He made one or two turns and then cut to the right to meet up with the guide when the avalanche occurred.

 

All of the skiers were experienced and were well aware of the dangers of the area.

The mountain guides involved are all certified under the Canadian Association of Mountain guides.

 

Note

 

*This event did not involve helicopter skiing.

 

S/Sgt Randy Brown

Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge

Revelstoke RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police

250-837-5255 - General

250-837-8977 - cell

250-837-5033 - fax

 

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Randy Brown, S/Sgt

34471

404 Campbell Avenue

Revelstoke, BC V0E 2S0

 

 

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it's so sad that deaths like this occur. i think it's super-important to listen to your guide on trips like this. not in terms of being a herded sheep, but in terms of him probably knowing that particular terrain and snowpack better than a visitor. not that an avy wouldn't have happened anyway, but it's food for thought. guides aren't usually trying to be assholes. i just bring this up because of some of what i saw at silverton, where one person purposefully disregarded what his guide told him and ended up boarding down a sketchy gully where he couldn't escape having to ride over an exposed rockband. ouch ... and he might not be so lucky next time.

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