Avalanche in Canada kills 3 skiers, including 1 from Idaho

Three people were killed and one person was critically injured after an avalanche struck a group of heli-skiers in British Columbia, Canada, according to officials.

The avalanche occurred just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday in an alpine area on the east side of Kootenay Lake, according to the Kaslo region Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The victims were part of two separate skiing groups who had just completed a descent and were waiting in a staging area below the tree line for their helicopter pickup.

A nearby transport helicopter approaching for retrieval witnessed the avalanche and sounded a siren, the Kaslo RCMP said.

One group was able to escape, but the second—consisting of four individuals—was swept into the trees. Rescue efforts were launched immediately, but three of the skiers were pronounced dead after being recovered from the snow.

The victims are a 45-year-old U.S. man from Idaho, a 53-year-old local ski guide and a 44-year-old local man. The fourth person caught in the avalanche was critically injured and airlifted to the hospital after receiving emergency treatment at the Kaslo Community Airport.

The deadly slide comes just three weeks after a separate avalanche in Alaska claimed the lives of three skiers. According to Alaska Wildlife Troopers, the skiers were buried between 40 and nearly 100 feet deep near Girdwood.