Death at Retallack cat ski

[AlexC]

Not many details available: http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_...112670414.html

*vibes*

[t.odd]

I'm a bit freaked out right now, I know a big group of peeps up there this week....

[Wannaskipownow]

Sad day. This is getting far too common with the snowboarder death in Alpine Meadows BC reported today. Condolences all around.

I will be at Ratallack in a month. Hope they are all dealing with this tragedy OK.

[caderader]

very sad

vibes

[kevok2]

~~~Vibes~~~

I do not like the number of severe injuries/deaths I've heard about recently. Stay safe, folks.

[PowderBunny]

~~~Vibes~~~

I do not like the number of severe injuries/deaths I've heard about recently. Stay safe, folks.

Seems as if there has been a lot of that posted lately.

+vibes to friends and family

[kevok2]

Seems as if there has been a lot of that posted lately.

Yeah and a lot of them are freak accidents. When its willful ignorance in terms of avy conditions, general safety, common sense, etc. it's one thing, but most of the recent incidents are really terrible. Not that I don't feel kind of bad when someone jumps the ropes unguided and w/o gear after a ten foot dump and ends up buried.

[f2f]

Seems as if there has been a lot of that posted lately.

finally our sport is earning the moniker "extreme" that so many were quick to bestow upon it.

[kevok2]

finally our sport is earning the moniker "extreme" that so many were quick to bestow upon it.

Yeah, well...know the risks, calculate/plan/minimize risks, then take the risks...

"Extreme" in the public eye was derived from the latter, and a lot of the "I'm so core" type miss step two or even one whilst riding the stoke/hype wave. Not really the case with the tree well deaths, etc...I guess with increased popularity comes proportional increases in fatalities. It's the same thing with longboarding, which I've been watching balloon as a sport in the past few years. Not fun to watch.

[truth]

Very sad news.

[grskier]

Sad news... vibes to all

[kevok2]

Reports that the snowboarder fell headfirst into deep powder; similar to a tree well incident sans tree. Guide followed protocol but couldn't save her. Extremely unfortunate.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1853865/

[Wannaskipownow]

More details released today. With "4 or 5 guides" with a group of 12 guests, this was a real freak accident. Buddy system is the best protection. Hope all involved are coping as best as can be expected. Tragic.


Snowboarder dies in backcountry

A 32-year-old Nelson woman who was snowboarding with her boyfriend in the backcountry near Kaslo has died after falling headfirst into deep snow.
By Vancouver Sun January 1, 2011 Be the first to post a comment


A 32-year-old Nelson woman who was snowboarding with her boyfriend in the backcountry near Kaslo has died after falling headfirst into deep snow.
The unusual accident appears to share similarities with another fatal mishp at the same backcountry lodge nearly seven years ago, which left a 43-year-old West Vancouver skier dead.
Wednesday's accident comes at a popular time for backcountry skiing, and as many B.C. ski areas are experiencing high snowfalls.
It also brings reminders from officials about playing safe in the mountains, following a handful of deaths in the past week, including a snowboarder at Blackcomb and three snowmobilers across B.C.
The Nelson woman, whose name was not released, was among 12 skiers or boarders on a guided cat-skiing tour organized by Retallack Lodge, about 20 kilometres west of Kaslo.
The group was on its last run Wednesday, around 3 p.m., when it stopped to discuss which routes the riders planned to take to their next checkpoint, said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
The victim and her boyfriend opted to go through an area called Stovepipe.
The victim hit a dip, which spun her around so she was facing uphill. She then fell backward and her upper body became submerged in snow, Moskaluk said.
The group had a lead guide and a tail guide, whose role it was to watch the riders descend. The tail guide, however, did not see the victim fall.
"Somehow the tail-end guide didn't see what happened to her. It is very steep terrain, and it is known for its snow conditions," he said.
When the group met at the checkpoint and the boyfriend noticed the woman wasn't with them, the guides backtracked to look for her, locating her by the transceiver she was wearing.
She was pulled -- unconscious and not breathing -- from the snow and CPR was performed. She was taken by ambulance to Kaslo hospital, where she died.
Moskaluk said the RCMP is assisting the coroner with the investigation, and that there is no suggestion of criminal wrongdoing.
The avalanche risk was deemed to be low at the time.
The accident appears similar to one in January 2004, when businessman Wayne Phillips was also staying at Retallack and was out with a guided tour group when he fell headfirst into the snow and was later found with his body submerged.
A coroner told the Nelson Daily News in 2004 that it appeared Phillips may have suffocated.
His wife sued the resort on behalf of their infant son and was later awarded $4,000. Retallack has changed ownership since Phillips's death.
Retallack spokesman Keith Davis said he was aware there had been a fatality in 2004, but added he was not aware of the facts in the case.
Davis refused to provide details of this week's accident, but said there were four or five guides with the group of 12 riders.
He said Retallack has a "high safety standard" and that all their guides are trained.
When asked about the role of the tail guide, he said, generally speaking, the person is at the rear of the group to do a visual sweep of the skiers and, if necessary, a "secondary transceiver search" if someone slips out of sight or has fallen.
Davis would not say if a secondary search was conducted this week by the tail guide.
A grief counsellor was brought to the lodge Friday to assist staff and guests who had been with the victim.
"There has been very significant trauma to, particularly, the staff who were on site and others who were involved in the resuscitation effort, and in addition it has affected the lodge staff and the people who were working the radios," said Davis.
Peter Tucker, executive director of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, said guiding is not regulated in Canada, but noted his organization trains tail guides to sweep the terrain from the back of the group.
"As far as ACMG guides, the standards are such that they count group numbers and they are watching the groups as they go down," Tucker said.
He had no information on, and could not comment specifically about, this week's death.
When asked about general safety in the backcountry, Tucker said it is important to have the correct gear but also to have training in how to use it.
"The most important thing is to get some education in self-rescue or in companion rescue. So you can carry your transceiver and your shovel and your probe, which is important, but it is even more important to learn how to use them," he said.
The provincial government issued two releases Friday, one reminding backcountry enthusiasts to play safe this season by using appropriate gear and by checking avalanche bulletins.
The other noted there has been record snowfall so far this winter in some B.C. ski areas, such as 2.4 metres at the Fernie Alpine Resort.
lculbert@vancouversun.com With a file from the North Shore News

[Joe Strummer]

Condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

Tail gunner is a tough job when you have a group in the trees that are off in a variety of directions.

Also sometimes tough to stick with your buddy as well but this sends a tough message to try your best to do so.

[TeleAl]

Retallack could be doing more to protect its skier/boarder clients.
In high avy conditions, they do not bomb nor otherwise perform avy control.
Then they lead their clients into the trees, which are not brush cut, not cleared of debris, nor in any way marked.

Somehow, this lack of effort to manage the forest is sold as part of the appeal.


I am saddened by the death of this woman and wish her family my best.

[StuntCok]

It sounds like a terrible freak answer to me. Tail gunning in a group that big and diverse would be a hard job and never will be 100% effective just as any type of skiing will never be 100% risk free. Skiing, especially backcountry skiing, is a risky activity where risk can be mitigated and controlled but never eliminated. Again we are reminded of that fact through tragedy.

As for "Retallack could do more" by further taming the natural environment, I am sure they could but that is not what they are offering, so if you want more of a ski Disneyland, perhaps you should try elsewhere. We all get to chose our own risk tolerance, or at least we should be allowed to do so.

Vibes to all involved especially the family of the departed.

[mtnbiker/boarder]

So sad ...many vibes to friends and family........Way to many deaths this year already .

[Graham]

Retallack could be doing more to protect its skier/boarder clients.
In high avy conditions, they do not bomb nor otherwise perform avy control.
Then they lead their clients into the trees, which are not brush cut, not cleared of debris, nor in any way marked.

Somehow, this lack of effort to manage the forest is sold as part of the appeal.


I am saddened by the death of this woman and wish her family my best.

People are well aware of the terrain they are getting into when they come to Retallack. I'm sure the allure of this operation is the natural, complex terrain combined with super deep powder.

I'm not trying to validate this death in any way, it's definitely a tragedy, my condolences to family and friends of this woman.

[anemic]

What a tragedy.

How do we learn from this one?

We are left to wild guess how one dies in deep snow with no reported tree well or impact issues?

How does this happen? Failure to stand up? I'm at a complete loss here. True snorkel conditions? How might you explain this? Heart attack? Poor fitness?

What do you suppose might have happened here?

[carvedog]

Retallack could be doing more to protect its skier/boarder clients.
In high avy conditions, they do not bomb nor otherwise perform avy control.
Then they lead their clients into the trees, which are not brush cut, not cleared of debris, nor in any way marked.

Somehow, this lack of effort to manage the forest is sold as part of the appeal.


I am saddened by the death of this woman and wish her family my best.

The last thing I want on a cat ski excursion is a "marked" area. Stop being a shit. You don't know what happened.

Vibes to the friends and family of this woman.

[t.odd]

wow, teleal.....while I'm not familiar with the person who passed away, the groups that were up there during this accident were all high level athletes, people you've definitely heard of, this was a freak accident, nothing more, nothing less....offer condolences to those that have experienced a loss and please don't armchair this one from the other side of the world...it doesn't help things

[StuckInOhio91]

Originally Posted by TeleAl
Retallack could be doing more to protect its skier/boarder clients.
In high avy conditions, they do not bomb nor otherwise perform avy control.
Then they lead their clients into the trees, which are not brush cut, not cleared of debris, nor in any way marked.

Somehow, this lack of effort to manage the forest is sold as part of the appeal.


I am saddened by the death of this woman and wish her family my best.

Sounds a lot like a ski resort... not a bc skiing lodge with access to natural terrain. The whole point of going to Retallack is get access to guided natural terrain with deep powder, to get away from a crowded resort. While resort skiing can be much safer, Retallack knows the area well and the guides know what they are doing. You also can't just go out and cut forest just for our own safety and enjoyment when it is inhabited by much wildlife.

We all know the risks when going into a situation like that, even when there is a slim chance of anything happening. The fact that they had four or five guides for a 12 person group is great, a ~1-2 guide to client ratio is about as much as you can do as far as safety goes. It just so happened that the person fell out of sight of anybody.

Regardless, my condolences to the woman's family and friends.

[Toadman]

Scary. Had something similar happen to me while skiing at Xtal on Brand X. Was one of maybe 4 people to drop in after they dropped the rope. Hit a wind drift, tips dove, and went face first into a deep drift facing down hill. But the slope was not that steep. I didn't go completely face first but at a bit of an angle. Took in snow up my nose and when I tried to inhale, not fully realizing I was buried, inhaled a bunch of snow and started to choke. Freaked out is an understatement. Luckily for me I was able to clear my face with my free hand, and clear my throat. The arm other was pinned under me. I spent the next 10 minutes trying to just get myself upright. Another solo skier came along just about the time I had managed to get to a position where I could get myself up. I was completley spent. Told her what happened and and she lent a hand. We then agreed to ski together down to the shuttle. Not smart on my part to ski those conditions solo. But having read this story it just instantly brought me back to that day.

[wildskizer]

Last Wed. skiing in a storm, white out conditions, motoring down a cat track to get out along a traverse line, ran into a wind drift knee deep behind some trees, ejected out of both heels and flew forward and post holed head first belly button deep into the snow pack.
Airway clogged, panic,... fortunately my arms were able to reach solid snow pack underneath, and I was able to free myself and get clear, and air, in a min or 2. It doesn't take long folks, without clear air before it's toast time...

Careful out there...Cheers and Vibes

[danimal's dead]

There seams to be a common theme to a lot of these incidents of skier/snowboarder BC/slackcountry deaths. Guys taking there girlfriends into areas where they should only go with their male friends or super agro I charge harder than you badass skier chicks.

1. This incident
2. the couple last year at kicking horse
3. the Tahoe chick

All of them died because their boyfriends or husbands took them into terrain they had no business dropping into. I have no desire to date women that ski, that's me time, but why in the hell would you put someone you love into danger like that just so you can get your steep turns. Isn't that even more selfish than leaving your biotch at home?