One person has died in an avalanche near Rossland, B.C., search and rescue officials have confirmed.
Officials with Rossland Search and Rescue said they were unable to recover the victim late Monday due to dangerous conditions.
Representatives of Big Red Cats, a snowcat ski operation in the area, said on their website that they received a call about 3:30 p.m. Monday from a snowmobile skier who had just dug out his friend from an avalanche on Mt. Mackie.
There were four friends out snowmobile skiing and one got caught in the avalanche, the company said.
The company sent out its guides who were able to locate the victim.
"After our guides located the victim and determined that he was no longer alive, they left the area" due to dangerous conditions, the company said.
Rossland is about 600 kilometres east of Vancouver.
Monday's avalanche comes on the heels of the recent anniversary of a deadly avalanche in the small B.C. community of Sparwood.
A year ago, eight men were killed when a series of avalanches pounded down on them as they were backcountry snowmobiling.
With files from CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber
