Search crews say bad weather is hampering the rescue of a B.C. skier in his 50s who fell into a crevasse five days ago in the Rockies.
The man, who has not been identified, was on the fourth day of a five-day ski tour of theWapta Icefield in Yoho National Park when he fell into a crevasse estimated to be 35-metres deep.
Now, crews are concerned how bad weather might affect search efforts and the stranded skier.
“Certainly hypothermia is an issue, so it’s a difficult circumstance,” said Parks Canada spokesman Brad White.
“We’re looking at about 2,600 metres, so almost the highest spot on that traverse, and definitely wild terrain there,” he said.
A helicopter and search crew are currently on stand by waiting for a break in the clouds in the area, known for its white-out conditions.
The search was on when members of the ski tour activated a spot beacon to send a distress signal early Wednesday morning.
The signal went to an emergency response centre in Texas, who then notified Parks Canada.
Two of the uninjured skiers dug a snow cave and waited out a blizzard until Friday when rescuers arrived.
Crew members looked in the crevasse, trying to establish contact with the missing man, but couldn’t risk going further.
“The people that were on this traverse were well prepared,” White said. “They had the proper gear, they were doing the right things, they just turned into some bad weather and a little bit off-route and wound up in some crevasses.”
Once the weather clears up, crews say the search will resume.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Brent Shearer
