It’s been a deadly and difficult week for skiers and outdoor enthusiasts in the North and Northwest following two separate fatal avalanches last weekend that claimed four lives, and sent one person to hospital with serious injuries.
Now, The Whitehorse RCMP has just confirmed that two more skiers had been rescued and returned safely via helicopter this past Tuesday, March 24th, after they ran into trouble in the Mount Arkell area, west-southwest of Whitehorse, Yukon.
A father and son on a multi-day ski trip in the backcountry had reportedly encountered an unexpected impasse along their planned route, and were forced to turn back by the difficult terrain. The pair determined they did not have enough supplies left to backtrack to Whitehorse on an alternate route, so they made the decision to send out an SOS at around 2:14 p.m on Monday, March 23d.
Within 24 hours, both men were located, picked up by helicopter, and were flown safely back in Whitehorse without injury.
RCMP Search and Rescue Manager, Corporal Chris Faulkner, who coordinated the rescue, stressed the importance of having an an emergency communication device with you in remote terrain, noting that it made all the difference for the father and son recently rescued.
Corporal Faulkner also said that with unusually high snowfall amounts late in the season, traversing the backcountry right now carries a significantly elevated risk.
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