On the evening of Dec. 27, Nelson Search and Rescue used rescue toboggans to free four people and two dogs who had been caught in an avalanche, according to a post on the organization’s Facebook page on Dec. 28.
“No one was fully buried, however two people were seriously injured and rescue toboggans were required as darkness prevented the use of a helicopter long-line,” the post stated.
The size 2.5 avalanche occurred outside the Whitewater ski area on the south face of the east peak of Evening Ridge.
The rescue, conducted in the dark in steep, hazardous terrain with temperatures below -20 degrees, involved over 25 volunteers and Whitewater staff.
The injured people were taken by ambulance to Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital in Trail.
Nelson Search and Rescue is a non-profit, volunteer organization whose members are trained to respond to calls including rope rescue, swiftwater rescue, avalanche rescue, lake rescue, and first aid.
