The Robson Valley forest district, unlike many other places in Western Canada, had lots of snow this past winter, drawing even more snowmobilers than usual from across B.C. and Alberta to its spectacular alpine areas.

Unfortunately, recreational users in the backcountry can mean avalanches, and that’s exactly what happened March 21 when the district office received an emergency request for assistance from the local search and rescue agency.

Ten district staff gathered first aid gear and avalanche probes and headed to the Renshaw trailhead northeast of McBride, along with the district’s high performance snowmobiles.

The RCMP and paramedics were already on the scene.

Sadly, it was too late for a 21 year-old Edmonton man who had been snowmobiling with friends and relatives. He died when the avalanche buried him under five metres of snow.

Operations manager Ken Starchuck said he was impressed with how staff jumped in, without hesitation, to offer assistance.

"The district office is looked upon as a valuable local resource—we’ve helped in the past with lost hikers too. Our staff are bush-wise and have first-aid and avalanche safety training," he added.

Ken said the district works with local agencies and snowmobile users to promote safety and avalanche awareness. Next season they’ll be looking for more ways to get that safety message out.