Three injured in avalanche in Banff National Park

Three skiers were injured after being swept almost 100 metres in an avalanche in Banff National Park.

Parks Canada says its visitor safety team responded to a satellite distress call around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.

“We had a group of three skiers who were skiing on the southeast aspect of Mount Patterson ... just north of the Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway or Highway 93 North,” said Lesley Matheson, spokeswoman for Banff, Yoho and Kootenay national parks.

“The skiers were hit by a Size 2 avalanche while skiing in a steep gully and were carried about 100 metres down the gully.”

A Size 2 avalanche is big enough to bury, injure or kill a person.

The report by Parks Canada on the Avalanche Canada website said none of the three skiers was buried, but all three were hurt and their gear was lost.

Matheson said they were rescued from the area and one person with a head injury was transported by ground ambulance to the hospital in Banff.

It’s the second early-season avalanche in the mountain national parks this year.

Two people were seriously hurt in September when they were swept about 600 metres by an avalanche they triggered while climbing a mountain in Jasper National Park.

That slide happened as the pair was ascending Mount Athabasca.

Officials said climbers and skiers need to be prepared when they head into the backcountry.

“It’s getting into ski season,” said Matheson. “We just want to remind people that early season conditions do exist.

“Even though it’s only October, the alpine snowpack is deep and avalanche hazard exists.”

She said Parks Canada hasn’t started its daily avalanche bulletins, but has been updating its website when significant changes in the snowpack occur.

Matheson also reminded backcountry users to carry a shovel, probe, beacon and an emergency communication device.