Three men were killed and another injured after an avalanche thundered down Mount Gerald in eastern British Columbia on Saturday.
The Mounties said two fathers and two sons were snowmobiling in the Hope River back country area, 70 kilometres west of Golden, when the snowslide hit around 4:50 p.m. local time.
"The avalanche appears to have been human triggered when two of the four men were high marking and the other two men were observing at the bottom of the slope," said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
"The slide buried these four males."
A second group of four snowmobilers who witnessed the avalanche started digging for survivors immediately. Those buried by the slide had emergency beacons which alerted authorities to the avalanche.
"The second group were able to unbury the four individuals with one person with minor injuries only. However, unfortunately, the other three persons were found deceased," Moskaluk said.
Two fathers, aged 48 and 50, and one of the sons, in his 20s, were killed. The surviving son, also in his 20s, was taken to hospital in Golden.
All four men were from Halkirk, Alta. Their identities are being withheld pending notification of all next of kin.
Crews will return to the mountain at first light Sunday to recover the three who were killed if the area is stable enough.
Golden RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Office are investigating the incident.
The avalanche risk in the Mount Gerald area at the time of the slide was rated considerable to moderate, according to a bulletin on the Canadian Avalanche Centre website.
It was the second slide in the area on Saturday. Earlier in the evening another avalanche took place in the Repeater Peak area in which no one was hurt.
Moskaluk urged all back country enthusiasts to exert caution and always carry their probe sticks, shovels and beacons while on the slopes.
"We would like to remind all back country users... to please verify and check on the conditions online prior to heading out to the back country," he said.
