A snowmobiler in the area off Canyon Creek Road died March 14 after riding into a tree well, according to a report by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on March 18.
Search and rescue team members and helicopter crews finally were able to bring the man’s body home from the backcountry on the afternoon of March 18, after a weekend of challenging conditions hindered their efforts.
Whatcom County dispatch received a call about an injured snowmobiler in the Excelsior zone northeast of Glacier late on Friday afternoon. The Whatcom County Search and Rescue Council deployed the snowmobile SAR unit. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine helicopter located the crash site and provided its location to the ground team. The SAR snowmobilers arrived on the scene and removed the victim from the tree well. He was deceased.
Because of the complicated terrain and the lateness of the hour, body recovery efforts were suspended at midnight. Rescuers again attempted recovery on the ground or by air on Saturday, Sunday and Monday but were thwarted by heavy precipitation, bad visibility and dangerous avalanche conditions.
On Tuesday morning, teams were assessing weather conditions for another recovery attempt, a sheriff’s office spokesperson said. By Tuesday afternoon, a group of snowmobilers and a helicopter from Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office had successfully recovered the body and released it to the county medical examiner.
More information about the dangers of deep snow for skiers, snowboarders and sledders is available on the national website deepsnowsafety.org, which was developed with the help of the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
This article was updated at 4:30 p.m. on March 18.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
