Body recovered after snowmobiler killed in avalanche near Valemount, B.C.

Onesnowmobilerisdead after an avalanche swept through a popular recreation area nearValemount, B.C.

RCMPwere called to a forest service road in the Clemina Creek areaFriday afternoon, Cpl. MadonnaSaundersonwrote in a release.

The snowmobiler's body was recovered Saturday, after unstable conditionsforced search and rescue crews to postpone theirinitial attempts a day earlier. His identity has not been released.

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The BCCoroners Service has taken over the investigation.

'Considerable' risk

Ilya Storm, a forecaster with Avalanche Canada, said the avalanche danger in that area was "considerable" on Friday, meaning thedanger was elevated and human-triggered avalanches were likely.

He saidpreliminary reports indicated that three people were involved in the incident: one person'ssnowmobile got stuck on a snow-covered slope. Two other individuals on snowmobiles triedto help get it free.

Their combined weight may have caused the avalanche.

"This is consistent with a pattern we see which is multiple people on a slope at one time when the avalanche is triggered," Stormsaid.

Storm says in situations like these, it's often better to let a person stuck in the snow digthemselves out, rather than coming onto the slope with them.

"It's important to minimize exposure to the rest of the group," he said.

"Having multiple people on a slope, especially with danger at considerable or higher, is not a good idea. Even if you're providing assistance, it's still an unsafe practice."

Clemina Creek is about 30 kilometres south of Valemount. The area will beclosed to the public on Saturday.