Snowshoer recovered from B.C. avalanche after being buried upside down for at least 15 minutes: rescue team

A B.C. snowshoer was rescued from an avalanche in Mount Seymour's backcountry over the weekend after being buried for several minutes.

North Shore Rescue said it was called Sunday afternoon for its highest-priority call: Code Alpha, or avalanche with burial.

The rescue team said a pair of snowshoers were hiking First Peak, also known as Pump Peak, when an avalanche hit the area, knocking one of the them off his feet.

"After the first snowshoer was able to dig himself out with his hands, his companion was nowhere to be seen, and his shouts were met with silence," a social media post shared by North Shore Rescue said, adding the man called 911 to speak to a search-and-rescue team.

"Thankfully, he was able to locate a snowshoe poking out of the snowpack, and from there, was able to uncover his companion who had been buried upside down."

NSR said the woman was "completely buried" for 15 to 20 minutes.

"She had a lower state of responsiveness, was cyanotic, and was quite hypothermic, but when she uncovered, was responsive," NSR's post said.

After being called, NSR staged a helicopter rescue team with an emergency physician at its Bone Creek helicopter base, while remaining team members went to the Mount Seymour parking lot. An avalanche dog team began to respond from Whistler.

Once teams arrived to the site of the avalanche, they gave the woman medical care and helped her get warm. The snowshoer was transported off the mountain on a rescue sled.

NSR said the avalanche risk on Sunday was high, which means human-triggered and natural avalanches were "very likely."

"Unfortunately, these individuals did not have avalanche training and did not carry any avalanche rescue gear. We cannot state strongly enough how lucky they were that the first individual was able to spot the second and dig her out," NSR's post said. "Had this not happened, we would be looking at a very different result. A successful rescue after a 15 to 20 minute burial is increasingly doubtful."

NSR urges anyone heading into the backcountry to check avalanche forecasts, get avalanche training and carry proper rescue equipment. Even then, NSR said it might be best to put off any planned backcountry outings for now.

"In conditions like we had this weekend, it is best to give anything with a slope a rest and let the snowpack settle," the rescue agency said.