Unrelated avalanches in Alberta backcountry leave 2 skiers dead [Video]

Two skiers are dead after separate avalanches in the Alberta backcountry.

Stuart Brideaux of Alberta Health Services EMS says one person died after an avalanche near Lake Louise and the other died in Kananaskis Country on Friday afternoon.

An incident report on Avalanche Canada’s website says two people who were skiing “out of bounds” from the Lake Louise ski area were making their way back when one of them triggered an avalanche.

It says the second skier pulled the first one out from under roughly two metres of snow and performed first aid, though Brideaux says he was later declared dead.

Dan Markham, communications director with the Lake Louise Ski Resort, says the avalanche took place outside resort boundaries.

Brideaux says that later in the afternoon, another skier died near the Black Prince day use area in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.