Skier dies after falling into tree well at B.C. resort

Skiers at Red Mountain Resort near Rossland, B.C. (AP / Jeremy Hainsworth)

A 76-year-old man is dead after falling into a tree well while skiing at Red Mountain Resort in British Columbia's southern Interior.

Mounties say an officer responded to the resort near Rossland around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday after the local man was found in critical condition.

The victim was unconscious when he was found buried in the snow by another skier while inside the resort's boundaries. The skier alerted the resort's volunteer ski patrol, who pulled the victim out of the tree well, police said in a media release Wednesday.

The rescuers tried to revive the man, who was transported to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Trail RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said the skier's death "marks a sad day for the City of Rossland," adding the victim "was a long-time, well-known Rossland resident with a deep passion for skiing."

The RCMP will not release the man's name at this time out of respect for his family's privacy, Wicentowich said.

"We would like to thank everyone who responded to this incident, and for the valiant efforts to save his life," he added. "The attending officer informed me that those who responded gave every ounce of effort they had, and all of their expertise (in) their efforts."

The BC Coroners Service is investigating the death, according to the RCMP.