Victim of Potato Peak fatal avalanche identified as search-and-rescue volunteer

One of two people killed in an avalanche in British Columbia’s Central Interior earlier this week was a search-and-rescue volunteer, the B.C. Search and Rescue Association (BCSARA) said Thursday.

The two victims were killed in the Potato Mountain range about 200 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake on Sunday, according to the B.C. RCMP.

The pair were preparing to ski on an east-facing slope about 40 kilometres south of Tatla Lake when a slab of snow broke off, according to Avalanche Canada.

In a statement Thursday, BCSARA announced “with heavy hearts” that one of the victims was a new member of the Central Cariboo Search and Rescue group, based in Williams Lake.

They were not participating in any search and rescue activity at the time, it said.

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“This member had been active with the group since December 2022 and, despite being a new member, they had already demonstrated skill and dedication in their role,” it said.

“With a love of nature’s ‘magic’ and the outdoors, this member was also a skilled photographer, rock climber, skier and hiker.”

The organization said the member had quickly made friends in the search-and-rescue community, and their passing has had “significant impacts.”

“Search and rescue in B.C. is very much a tight-knit community that cares about each other and, as such, we mourn the loss of any member.”

The victim is not being identified at the request of their family.

The weekend slide brought the year’s avalanche death toll to seven, in what is shaping up to be a particularly deadly season.

The 2020-2021 season was the most deadly in recent years, with nine deaths, while the worst season in the last decade was 2015-2016, when 14 people lost their lives in avalanches.

– with files from Global News’ Doyle Potenteau

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