3 ‘Very Proficient’ Skiers Killed in British Columbia Avalanche [Video]

Three skiers were killed and a fourth was critically injured after they were swept away by an avalanche in British Columbia, Canada.

The deadly incident happened just before 1:00 p.m. on Monday, March 24, reports The Canadian Press, The Vancouver Sun and CTV News.

The British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the skiers killed were a 53-year-old guide from nearby Kaslo, a 44-year-old man from Whistler and a 45-year-old man from Idaho, per The Canadian Press. The sole survivor, whom authorities said was a 40-year-old man from Nelson, B.C., was in critical condition and airlifted to a hospital.

Heli-skiing is off-trail, downhill skiing or snowboarding where the skier reaches the top of the mountain by helicopter, instead of a ski lift, per Wikipedia. It is often done in remote areas.

“A transport helicopter was nearing the group when the pilot observed an avalanche and sounded the siren,” the B.C. RCMP said in a …