David Henkel was worried about snow stability and was trying to lead his girlfriend to safety when he was killed in an avalanche Saturday afternoon in the Brandywine Bowl south of Whistler, B.C., according to his mother. Leslie Newton said her son, a 25-year resident of Whistler, was avalanche trained and an expert snowboarder. Henkel, 45, was one of a number of people caught in the avalanche, but the only one to perish. Avalanche Canada spokesperson Ilya Storm said recent weather has made conditions in the Sea to Sky corridor "tricky." Because of the unique conditions in the Whistler area, Storm advises people heading into the backcountry to be more cautious than the avalanche rating might suggest.

Source: CBC News February 16, 2021 14:00 UTC