A Large Avalanche Struck Multiple Groups Of Snowmobilers Killing Five Near Mount Renshaw Outside of McBride, British Columbia
McBride, British Columbia, Canada – At about 1:30 PM on Friday, January 29, 2016 a large avalanche killed five snowmobilers near Mount Renshaw about 15 km from McBride, BC.
The avalanche occurred in a wilderness area and is thought to have been triggered by the snowmobilers. Seventeen snowmobilers from four separate groups were in the same area when the avalanche struck..
TheGlobeandMail.com writes that there were 11 snowmobilers in total – 5 died and 2 were injured. Six to eight people lost their sleds and had to be helicoptered out of the area.
The snowmobilers notified RCMP via two separate GPS beacon activations. The Robson Valley Search and Rescue Team responded to the scene to assist by snowmobiles and helicopter.
There had been intense snow and rain in the days leading up to the accident.
According to CTVNews.ca the avalanche victims were all Albertans. BC Coroners Service identified them as:
- Vincent Eugene Loewen, 52,
- Tony Christopher Greenwood, 41
- Ricky Robinson, 55
- Todd William Chisholm, 47
- John Harold Garley, 49
We will try to update this post as more information becomes available.
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Read more about the BC avalanche that killed five snowmobilers from these sources:
- BBC
- CBC.ca
- HuffingtonPost.com
- CTVNews.ca
- CNN
- TheGlobeandMail.com
- Avalanche Canada
- Avalanche.ca Accident Report
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This tragic avalanche accident occurred less than a week after a snowmobiler died in an avalanche near Prince George.
