Image Credit: Big White Ski Resort
April 11, 2020 - 7:53 AM
A man is in the hospital after sustaining a serious injury at Big White, according to the resort's senior vice president.
"On March 16, Big White Ski Resort Ltd’s president and CEO Peter Plimmer closed Big White Ski Resort due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since that time, Mother Nature has been in charge of the mountain. We, as the mountain operator, have done everything humanly possible to ask people to stay away, posted signage, used media strategies, and still the general public is not listening," said Michael Ballingall, senior vice president in a emailed statement.
"(On April 10), unfortunately, there was a severe accident in TELUS Park of a young man who is currently in Kelowna General Hospital dealing with a serious back injury. All avoidable. His friends called 9-1-1, the Big White Fire Department responded to TELUS Park (accident) on foot with the best equipment. They had to provide first aid, a backboard, a neck-brace, and physically walk him out to the road at which time he was handed over to BC Ambulance and transported to KGH," he said in the statement.
Ballingall is asking the community to respect regulations and to stay away from the mountain at this time.
"The mountain is closed, the creeks have started to run, the snow is shifting, and it is simply dangerous to be out on a mountain that is not patrolled, groomed, fenced, or managed at this time. Please do not venture out on Big White Mountain – you are just putting yourself in danger," he said in the statement.
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