‘Only have 15 or 20 minutes:’ Backcountry enthusiasts can’t count on fast rescue
CALGARY — Experts say the growing number of skiers and snowboarders enticed by pristine powder in the backcountry shouldn’t assume help will arrive quickly if something goes wrong.
Snowboard star Mark McMorris, already an Olympic medallist and a favourite at next year’s Winter Games, was hurt badly while attempting a jump in the backcountry near Whistler, B.C., on the weekend.
It’s not known how long it took to get the 23-year-old native of Regina off the mountain. He was airlifted from Whistler to a Vancouver hospital, where he is recovering from a broken jaw, broken left arm, ruptured spleen, stable pelvic fracture, rib fractures and a collapsed left lung.
More and more people are venturing into the wilderness in search of the freshest snow, said Luke Penner, snow sports product leader with Mountain Equipment Co-op in North Vancouver.