UPDATED: BC Coroners Service releases name of Blue River avalanche victim
By Nelson Daily Staff
The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died in an avalanche near Blue River Sunday as Jay Quayle, aged 35, of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan.
Quayle was one of a party of seven who had travelled to the Monashee Mountains near Blue River to go snowmobiling.
They were snowmobiling in an area known as Red Sands/Duffy’s when Quayle and one other member of the party were caught up in an avalanche.
Other members of the party were able to rescue the other man, uninjured, but Quayle was recovered from under three metres of snow, and was unable to be resuscitated.
The BC Coroners Service and RCMP continue to investigate this death.
Lloydminister man dies after being buried by avalanche near Blue River
A 36-year-old man from Lloydminister, Saskatchewan, died after being buried by an avalanche Friday north of Blue River, BC.
Clearwater RCMP received the call approximately 7:20 p.m. (March 14) of a buried snowmobiler in the back of Red Sand Mountain north of Blue River.
RCMP were advised that a group of snowmobilers went into the back bowl of Red Sands Mountain at which time an avalanche occurred, burying two people.
The group raced to the location to dig them out and immediately found one person.
Unfortunately the second man succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene.
Clearwater Search and Rescue and the BC Coroner were unable to enter the site that night due to the high avalanche risk.
The BC Coroner along with 2 Avalanche Technicians and Clearwater SAR were flown to the scene by helicopter Saturday morning.
The investigation has been handed over to the BC Coroner’s Office.
