Six bodies recovered from scene of B.C. avalanches

FERNIE, B.C. — Police say six bodies have been recovered from the scene of two avalanches that struck in southeastern British Columbia.

They say that today's recovery left two other snowmobilers still unaccounted for.

The six bodies were being removed from the scene near Fernie by helicopter.

Three other men from the group pulled themselves free Sunday and tried to claw through the snow for their companions, but gave up in anguish as they feared another slide.

Search efforts had been delayed by the need to bomb snow in the area to reduce the chance of more avalanches impeding rescuers.

With 27 inches of fresh snow in recent days, the risk of a new avalanche was high today.

A search-and-rescue helicopter used explosives to shake down loose snow and make the area safer for searchers, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Staff Sgt. Lorne Craig.

The first avalanche buried a group of seven snowmobilers on Sunday afternoon, while they were resting at the foot of a hill, Wilks said.

"It appears a cornice let loose — an overhang on the top of the mountain — and buried them," he said.

Another group of four snowmobilers heard their shouts, hurried over and started digging when they were hit by a second avalanche.

Two men dug themselves out and then pulled a third man free. Rescuers found them by their emergency communication devices.

The avalanche warning for the area was raised to "high" today, said James Floyer, a forecaster with the Canadian Avalanche Center.

The center had described the popular backcountry area Sunday as "spooky" and able to generate avalanches easily capable of killing a person.

The avalanche center issued an alert Sunday saying mountain conditions in the region were "very touchy" because of a new snow combined with a weak snowpack, but Craig said some people in the popular backcountry region might not have known how dangerous conditions had become.