Avalanche near Revelstoke results in two fatalities, another near Cherryville

An avalanche near Revelstoke has killed two brothers from the U.S., and caused serious injuries to one other person.

RCMP say on Monday afternoon, Jan. 23, the Revelstoke RCMP were advised of an avalanche that occurred near Mount McCrae in the Alkolkolex tenure southeast of Revelstoke.

It was reported that a small group of people had been heli-skiing near an area known as Chocolate Bunnies at the time of the slide.

In a social media post, CMH Heliskiing says three people — two guests and a guide — were buried, and while all three were quickly found and pulled out, the two guests were unresponsive and were pronounced dead in hospital. The guide is being treated in Kelowna. (The Canadian Press)

Police say, once they were made aware of the incident, the three people had been located and were already being transported via helicopter for emergency medical assistance.

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“Immediate action was taken on scene by all involved to locate the victims, provide first aid and transport by helicopter to hospital. Ultimately, the efforts to save the lives of the two skiers were unsuccessful,” Revelstoke RCMP Sgt. Chris Dodds said.

The third person involved — reported to be a guide — is in serious condition.

Kinsley Construction of Pennsylvania announced on its website Tuesday that brothers Jonathan and Timothy Kinsley were killed in the incident.

“We are deeply heartbroken to share news of the sudden and tragic passing of Jonathan Kinsley, an executive of Kinsley Enterprises, and his brother, Timothy Kinsley, president of Kinsley Properties, while on a skiing trip in British Columbia. Our entire Kinsley family is still processing this heartbreaking news of their deaths and respectfully ask for privacy at this time,” the website stated.

The Kinsley brothers from Pennsylvania were killed in the avalanche near Revelstoke Jan. 23. (Kinsley Construction photo)

The BC Coroners Service is investigating the deaths which come just days after a snowmobiler was killed in a slide near Valemount, bringing B.C.’s death toll from avalanches to five this year.

Meantime, B.C. Emergency Health Services said it was called to an avalanche in the Keefer Lake area near Cherryville, east of Vernon, Monday afternoon, where one person was taken to hospital.