The avalanche hit a ten-person heli-skiing group consisting of the Canadian guide and nine foreigners. The fatalities all come from Bavaria, two men from the Lower Bavarian municipality of Eging (about 20 kilometers from Passau) and one man from Munich, as the mayor of Eging, Walter Bauer, confirmed on Friday. Four other skiers were injured, some seriously.
According to police, the accident happened on Wednesday in the Canadian province of British Columbia, about 500 kilometers northeast of Vancouver. The police did not give any specific information about the nationalities of the other group members. However, no Austrians were affected, as a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Austria Press Agency on Friday afternoon.
With heli-skiing, winter sports enthusiasts are transported to a summit by helicopter. From there the descent takes place through untouched deep powder snow. It was the sixth fatal avalanche accident in the province since the start of the season in November, the Canadian Press news agency reported.
