A Terrace-based heli-skiing company is halting service after three of its guests died and a guide was critically injured in an avalanche on Sunday.
Michael Brackenhofer, heli-skiing and guiding manager for White Wilderness Heliskiing, said the avalanche occurred on March 22 at 1 p.m. near Mount Knauss on the ski run Iridium Shoulder within the White Wilderness Heliskiing tenure.
“Four individuals were caught in the avalanche and fully buried,” Brackenhofer said. “The victims were located through a transceiver search and visual clues from deployed airbags.
“White Wilderness Heliskiing guides and guests extricated all four victims within 15 minutes of the occurrence. Due to their injuries, the three guests did not survive the avalanche. The guide sustained critical injuries and was flown to the immediate care of B.C. Ambulance Services and transported to the Terrace hospital.”
Brackenhofer said the guide is in stable condition after undergoing surgery in Vancouver.
Industry association HeliCat Canada is providing critical incident stress management support to guests, guides and staff at the lodge. The operation is closed until further notice.
WorkSafeBC spokesperson Alexandra Skinner said an investigation was underway due to the guide’s injuries.
“The purpose of our investigation is to identify and understand the occupational health and safety factors that contributed to the incident, so that similar incidents can be prevented in the future,” Skinner said.
Between 2014 and 2024, WorkSafeBC handled 23 claims related to injuries linked to avalanches, including 22 serious cases and one death.
According to Avalanche Canada, there have been eight avalanche-related fatalities in B.C. to date this avalanche season, including six in the past month.
Also on Sunday a skier died after being caught in an avalanche in near Klehini River, close to the B.C.-U.S. border in the far northwest corner of B.C.
With a file from Stephanie Ip
