Four Dead From Two Avalanche Accidents in Northern B.C.
Two separate avalanches killed four skiers in Northern British Columbia on Sunday, March 22, 2026, according to local police and news reports.
One skier died northwest of Mount McDonell, per an incident report published by Avalanche Canada.
Local law enforcement said in a news release that they received a Garmin SOS alert around 3:30 p.m. from a remote area near the Canada-United States border.
Information indicated that there had been an avalanche, police said. One person was unconscious, and CPR was underway.
The Atlin Royal Canadian Mounted Police coordinated with Atlin Search and Rescue to make a plan, using a helicopter to reach the area.
After arriving, responders confirmed that one person was dead. Five people were brought out of the backcountry. Four were uninjured, police said.
Robert Thor Haraldsson/Avalanche Canada
According to Avalanche Canada, the fourth member of the five-person group triggered the avalanche. The skier who died was buried nearly five deep and pulled from the snow by other members of the group. Another person was partially buried.
“The avalanche initiated as a wind slab, but stepped down to the mid-February facet/crust layer when it hit the moraine at the bottom of the slope,” the organization’s report said.
Avalanche Canada classified it as a size four avalanche, which is large enough to “destroy a railway car, large truck, several buildings, or a forest area up to four hectares.”
Terrace RCMP said the other incident on Sunday was reported by staff at a local heliskiing lodge. The avalanche was located on Knauss Mountain in an area called the Iridium Shoulder. The RCMP and BC Emergency Health Services responded to the incident Sunday afternoon, police said.
One man was brought to a local hospital with serious injuries but is now in stable condition, police said. Three other men were found dead.
Avalanche Canada hasn’t yet shared how large the avalanche on Knauss Mountain was.
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