Skier Dies After Nearly 2,000-Foot Fall in Banff Backcountry
A Canadian skier died after falling nearly 2,000 feet in the backcountry of Alberta's National Park.
The victim was 34-year-old woman, a resident of nearby Lake Louise. The incident occurred around 7:00 Tuesday morning, Parks Canada officials told Rocky Mountain Outlook, after a group of three skiers began descending 3/4 Couloir, near Moraine Lake.
'Shortly after beginning their descent, one of the skiers fell 600 meters down the couloir,' said James Eastham, Parks Canada's public relations and communications officer for Lake Louise, Yoho and Kootenay, in a statement.
A local witnessed the fall and called Parks Canada for help. Visitor safety specialists from the agency responded and extracted the woman's body via a long line from helicopters. A STARS air ambulance also answered the call, but was ultimately not required for transportation, as the woman was pronounced dead on the scene.
'RCMP sends condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,' said Cpl. Gina Slaney, Alberta RCMP public information officer for the southern Alberta district, in a media release obtained by RMO.
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