A 38-year-old Calgary man is fighting for his life at Foothills Hospital after he was buried by an avalanche for 15 minutes in the Helen Shoulder glades, four kilometres south of Num-Ti-Jah Lodge on Highway 93 North in Banff National Park on Saturday (March 15).
The man was skiing in a party of four when they triggered the avalanche. His party members located him using probes and beacons, while passersby from the highway and performed CPR until EMS arrived.
Alpine Helicopters flew him to Lake Louise, where STARS helicopters transported him to Calgary in critical condition.
Avalanche conditions in the area were rated considerable at the time of the accident. Backcountry users are advised to check www.avalanche.ca for current conditions.
In other Banff National Park rescue news. An injured ice climber was rescued from Mount Costigan near the east end of Lake Minnewanka. The climber, a male in his late 20s, activated his SPOT and Banff Visitor Safety responded. STARS and Cochrane RCMP also responded to the incident.
