Historical Incidents

Incident Summary

Date

2024-03-29

Location

Cathedral Mountain

Location Description

In Yoho National Park, approximately 9 km west of Field, BC

Province

BC

Coordinates

51.42517 °, -116.36385 °

Elevation

2000 m

Activity

Backcountry Skiing

Involvement

1

Injury

0

Fatality

1

Description

A solo skier skied off the shoulder of Cathedral Mountain, on to a slope known as Cathedral Glades. The skier triggered a size 2.5 avalanche, which appears to have failed on or stepped down to the Feb 3 persistent weak layer. The victim was not reported missing until late in the day on April 1. The victim was located from the air because a ski was visible. Once landed, the rescuers found the victim was partially buried, with a boot also visible on the snow surface. A transceiver was found switched off in the victim’s backpack. The incident date is derived from a professional observation made in the morning of March 30. That report identified the avalanche as being approximately 12 hours old.