A man has died after falling into a crevasse in the Columbia Icefield. The incident took place on May 12 at the Athabasca Glacier, located in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada.
Three friends were skiing and snowboarding when one fell 80 feet into a crevasse. The exact time of the incident is unclear, but the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was notified around 5:30 p.m. by Parks Canada. Jasper National Park visitor safety team told RCMP members “they had visual confirmation on the patient and they could confidently say that he was deceased.” Inclement weather and the remote location of the body meant recovery was not possible immediately. It wasn’t until two days later that the man was retrieved on May 14.
The man’s identity has not been made public, but RCMP information officer Mathew Howell told the CBC that he was a citizen of the Czech Republic who was living in Revelstoke at the time of the incident. The two friends who were accompanying him before his death were also Revelstoke residents.
Howell added that the incident is being treated as a sudden death, with no foul play expected.
The Columbia icefield is a beautiful but notoriously dangerous backcountry skiing destination. According to Parks Canada, it is rated on the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale as Class 3 and requires a “considerable level of skill and knowledge” to navigate the hazardous terrain.
