*** Heavy Snow Avalanche Injures Backcountry Skier ***

Date: December 29th 1997
Location: Glacier National Park, B.C.
Source: The Province Newspaper, B.C.
Submitted by: Martin Colwell.
Email: sarinfo@istsar.ca

A 28 year old mamn is recovering in a Kelowna hospital after
'miraculously' surviving an avalanche on Mount McGill in Glacier National
Park, B.C.. Jason McVean, believed to be from the Lake Louise area, is
groggy but in stable condition with two broken legs, a hospital offical
said yesterday.

Both his legs "snapped" in the accident, the poice said. "It was
miraculous," said Brian Higgins, park warden at Glacier National Park.
"I am not trying to sensationalise it, but it was a heck of an event. If
you come out in any piece your pretty thankful. Once the snow gets moving,
it goes quite quickly" Higgins said the avalanche was triggered by fresh
snowfall on top of an unstable layerf of wet snow and ice a metre below.

McVean was among four experienced alpine skiers who hiked up Mount McGill,
40 kilometers east of Revelstoke, for a day of ski-touring Saturday. Two
of the the foursome decided to ski across an unstable slope on the
mountainside.

"The first skier went across with no event, and when Jason went across the
snow let go and carried him" said the hospital official. "Swept down by
the onrushing snow for about 610 metres, McVean popped to the surface
just before hitting a tree. "That's the miraculous part of it," said the
hospital official. The avalanche was Class 3, capable of destroying a
small building.

McVean's companions skied down the slope after the avalanche and rescued
him. While first aid was being applied a member of the group skied to
the Rogers Pass highway and hitchhiked to the park wardens office. A
helicopter landed at the site and flew McVean to Revelstoke hospital,
where he was treated before being flown to Kelowna.

                      ----------------------