A 67-year-old man has tragically passed away following a skiing accident at Fernie Alpine Resort.
On Wednesday, Elk Valley Regional RCMP were notified of a possible sudden death and arrived at the scene as BC Ambulance transported the man to a local hospital.
The man was discovered by Fernie Alpine Patrol buried in snow within a naturally occurring terrain trap near the top of the ski hill. Despite efforts by ski patrol and BC Ambulance, including the use of an AED device, the man’s condition did not improve.
After several hours on life support, he was pronounced deceased.
The incident is believed to have been caused by poor visibility, which led the skier into the terrain trap — an oval sinkhole approximately 20 by 30 feet in size, filled with loose and undisturbed snow. The trap was located beneath one of the first lift towers of the Polar Peak lift.
Elk Valley RCMP, in collaboration with the BC Coroners Service, continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.
