Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
A pair of skiers fell about 550 meters down the side of Mount Temple after they broke through a cornice last week.
Parks Canada said they were called to help a pair of skiers on June 20 who had been climbing up the southwest ridge of Mount Temple, south of Lake Louise, when they fell through a cornice, ledge or a shelf of snow on the city ridge. a mountain
The cornice fall triggered a size 2 slab avalanche, which carried the party down the steep, rocky terrain.
One of the skiers was injured, but the uninjured skier was able to call Parks Canada for help.
“The visitor safety team responded and performed a longline rescue of the critically injured skier and flew them directly to a staging area in Lake Louise where they were transferred to an air ambulance and flown to a hospital in Calgary ,” said James Eastham, a spokesman for the Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay Canada field unit Parking in an email.
STARS air ambulance says the injured skier, a 40-year-old man, was flown to Calgary in critical condition, suffering from trauma-related injuries.
Cornices are unstable pieces of land and usually become even more unstable as the weather changes, Avalanche Canada said.
Eastham says the skiers are well equipped for the terrain, but all mountaineers should be careful around ridge tops throughout Banff National Park, as this is where large cornices can develop.
“In general, this spring has been cold and wet, and snow remains above the trees in most areas of the park,” he said. “The lingering snow presents a number of dangers for walkers.
“It can cover paths and make navigation difficult. Hard snow can be slippery when frozen leading to slips and falls. Snow is often frozen and easy to walk on in the morning, but it become unsupportive as the temperature rises This can lead to deep snow piercing through which can also cause fatigue.
(Supplied/Avalanche Canada)
(Supplied/Avalanche Canada)
The danger of avalanches is also present in many areas, Eastham said, and backcountry users should always be careful on warm, sunny days or during rainy periods.
Eastham said the skiers were rescued quickly due to coordination between several different agencies.
“Within two hours of receiving the initial call for help, the injured party had been evacuated and transferred to an air ambulance.
“A prompt response like this gives the highest chance of positive results.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/skier-critically-injured-after-falling-down-mount-temple-in-banff-national-park-1.6938921
