KANANASKIS COUNTRY, Alberta — A teenager was taken to a Calgary hospital in life-threatening condition Friday after an inbounds avalanche burial at Nakiska Ski Area in western Alberta.
RCMP said officers were called to the resort in Kananaskis Country, about an hour west of Calgary, shortly before 1 p.m. following reports of a slide.
Global News reports two people, an adult and a teenager, were caught in the avalanche. The adult was able to dig out without assistance. Avalanche rescue dogs and emergency medical crews were used to locate the teenager. The teen was recovered unresponsive and transported to a hospital in Calgary in critical condition. It was not immediately clear how long the teenager had been buried.
Authorities have not said whether the skiers were in a designated in-bounds area at the time. A witness on the mountain said the slide occurred in the Monster Glades area, which features predominantly intermediate and advanced terrain.
Avalanche Canada rated the danger Friday afternoon as considerable, meaning natural avalanches were possible and human-triggered avalanches were likely.
The incident came after Environment Canada issued a heavy snowfall warning for much of southern Alberta, forecasting 15 to 30 centimeters of snow through Saturday morning.
