They Had Finished Their Run. Then the Avalanche Hit

Two groups of heli-skiers had finished their run early Monday afternoon in the British Columbia backcountry and were waiting in a staging area when an avalanche struck. The Kaslo Royal Canadian Mounted Police said a transport helicopter was approaching and the pilot saw the avalanche and sounded an alarm, reports ABC News. "One group of skiers was able to run out of harm's way, while the other group of four was swept away into the tree line," officials say. Three men, including an American from Idaho, were killed; the fourth man remains in critical condition.

Kaslo Search and Rescue manager Mark Jennings-Bates tells the National Post the skiers who were swept up were "very, very proficient." Ski Magazine reports the victims have been identified as Stellar Heli Skiing owner and lead guide Jason Remple; Alex Pashley, the North Face's global sports marketing manager; and professional snowboarder Jeff Keenan. Stellar Heli Skiing has operated in the area for decades.

The Post reports Avalanche Canada's Monday update for the area around Kootenay Lake—the slide occurred on the lake's east side in the Purcell Mountains—noted that "rising temperatures are creating very dangerous avalanche conditions and terrible riding quality. (There's) no reason to go near avalanche terrain." The bodies of the skiers who died have been recovered. (More avalanche stories.)