Two people had to be rescued from a rugged sledding area near Kitimat Thursday night.
RCMP and Kitimat Search and Rescue were called out at 5:45 for two snow bikers that were stranded in an extremely rugged area of Claque Mountain.
Kitimat Search and Rescue’s Kelly Marsh says the high avalanche risk in the area prevented crews from heading to the site without an avalanche technician to conduct a risk assessment.
KSAR members brought the pair back to the staging without injury and wrapped up the operation by 9:00 p.m.
Marsh says the current snowpack has many weak layers, so caution is the key for people using the back country.
Marsh says packing the right gear is also essential. That includes carrying extra dry clothing, GPS, headlamp, fire starting capabilities, a fully charged cell phone with auxiliary power source if possible, candles, and inexpensive hand
and feet warmers.
He says brushing up on your snow cave building sills would also be an asset for this type of emergency situation.
