Avalanche sweeps mine surveyor 300 metres to his death in northwestern B.C.
October 24, 2012 - 11:59 AM
STEWART, B.C. - A few more details have been released following B.C.'s first avalanche death of the season.
North District RCMP say a 50-year-old surveyor was engulfed while working at a minerals camp 50 kilometres outside Stewart, in northwestern B.C., near the Alaska border.
The man's name and hometown have not been released, but police say he was swept over a 300 metre cliff while he and another man were taking GPS co-ordinates on a steep slope near the camp.
The second man was able to escape the slide and was not hurt.
Mounties say the case has now been turned over to the coroner's office and spokeswoman Barb McLintock has already said WorkSafeBC will also take part in the investigation.
Ten people died in avalanches around B.C. during the 2011/2012 season.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012