Parks Canada visitor safety specialists are leading a recovery effort for a missing climber involved in an avalanche on the Polar Circus Ice Climbing route in Banff National
Park on Feb. 5.
The missing climber is a Search and Rescue Technician from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron based at 17 Wing Winnipeg. He went missing during a training exercise in Banff National Park.
On Feb. 7, visitor safety specialists from Jasper conducted explosive control work on Polar Circus with the goal of creating a safe work area for a ground search team. Good results were achieved, but it was too late in the day to put ground searchers into the area.
On Feb. 8, avalanche conditions remained high and it was not possible to safely put rescuers into the avalanche site. More avalanche control was conducted and Parks Canada is hopeful that conditions will improve Tuesday so that a ground search can take place.
Parks Canada states its thoughts are with the family and members of the squadron and it is making every effort to get into the area and conduct a search as safely and efficiently as possible.
