Golden Avalanche Fatality

[SnowDog]

4th slide fatal this week
14 hours ago

GOLDEN, B.C. — A snowmobiler died Friday in an avalanche near Golden, B.C., the fourth to be killed in a snow slide in B.C.'s back country this week.

The southern Alberta man was among a group of snowmobilers sledding in the Vermont Creek area, also known as Silver Mines, when the avalanche hit, said Ian Foss, manager for Golden and District Search and Rescue.

"We know that there was a group of nine travelling, with one person trapped in an avalanche," said Foss. "He was dug out by his companions."

Cpl. Betty Watson of Golden's RCMP detachment said police got a call around 2 p.m. local time from the International Rescue Centre in Texas, which monitors GPS-equipped emergency locator beacons.

A local heli-skiing operator also called in at roughly the same time to report the slide.

A search-and-rescue crew brought out the 50-year-old victim by helicopter.

Watson said his companions performed CPR after digging him out from under more than two metres of snow.

Rescuers continued the effort en route but the man was pronounced dead at Golden's hospital.



"Avalanches are still a concern in this area and will be for the remainder of the season," Watson said.

Friday's death brings to 24 the number of people killed in avalanches in Western Canada this winter, all but one in British Columbia and most of them snowmobilers.

 

[OfstieR]

From the Calgary Sun Today:




"Family and friends worried about Daryl Hay when he went into the backcountry.

Now, their worst fear is a reality as the 50-year-old was killed in a B.C. avalanche Friday.

His sister, Joyce Hay-Breit, said they're finding solace knowing he was drawn to that realm by his love of snowmobiling, knew the dangers and accepted them.

"He told me 'If something ever happens while I'm snowmobiling, just be comforted in knowing I was doing something I loved,'" she said yesterday from the town of Carbon, about 80 km northeast of Calgary.

"He was the one who kept us all going, we'll really miss him."


Carbon Mayor Shirley Buyer said the close-knit community, home to about 500 and where Hay was born, has lost one of its most avid volunteers.

He volunteered with the local fire department, the Lions Club and at any venue where help was needed, often showing up with his wife, Donna.

"If you needed help, Daryl would be there," Buyer said.

She said his death comes not long after Carbon lost two other residents in a road crash and is another blow to the heart of the town.

"Losing anyone in a small community is dreadful, but when you have someone so involved, who was born and raised here ... it's a bad dream for us," Buyer said.

"It's like cutting a piece of Carbon's arm off again."

Hay's daughter, Brandy, said her dad was a man who loved life, adventures, time with loved ones and working on the family farm.

She said he was absolutely passionate about snowmobiling.

"He died doing what he loved," she said.

"He wouldn't want it any other way, he wouldn't have wanted to be in a hospital bed dying."

Lifelong friend Ken Furst said pretty much every day began with the two friends chatting on the phone or Hay sending a silly email.

Yesterday, Furst went through snapshots taken during a recent trip to Mexico where Hay and his wife joined him to celebrate his 50th birthday.

"Last week I was sitting on the beach having a beer with him in Mazatlan," he said.

"That's how quick life goes. He was a special guy, I'm going to miss him, big time."

Officials said Hay and a group of friends were snowmobiling near Golden when his machine stalled as he was high-marking, triggering the deadly slide.

His friends managed to pull him free from beneath about seven feet of snow, but Hay was pronounced dead after being airlifted to hospital a short time later.

Hay leaves to mourn his daughters Brandy and Stephanie, wife Donna, and stepchildren Tanya and Peter."






Rest in peace Daryl, and may God be with the Hay family during this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with you as well as everybody that was there.

To the guys that risked their own lives, put themselves in great danger and selflessly tried to save another - your actions were heroic. You did the absolute best that anybody could have expected out of another human being.

Daryl - you will always be remembered.