A man, right, who was one of two skiers rescued after being buried in an avalanche in the backcountry of Cypress Provincial Park, hugs a member of North Shore Rescue, in North Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday, March 4, 2017. The other person rescued was flown off the mountain and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
March 05, 2017 - 7:00 AM
VANCOUVER - Rescue officials in British Columbia say skiers were trapped in an avalanche near Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver this afternoon.
They say the victims were in the Tony Baker Gully in the backcountry of Cypress Provincial Park.
North Shore Rescue posted on its Facebook page that a "Code Alpha" avalanche rescue was called in and at least one man needed to be dug out.
One person was taken out by air crews to the Capilano Gate rescue station.
There has been no immediate word on his condition.
A second victim, who was also rescued, was seen walking around after the rescue.
Avalanche Canada had issued warnings for the alpine and treeline areas of South Coast mountains, including Cypress, this weekend.
The organization said naturally-occurring avalanches were possible, while human-triggered events were likely.
The organization also reported an avalanche on the backside of the mountain on Friday, saying the snow conditions were heavy and wind-affected.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2017