Second officer dies in hospital after avalanche near Kaslo

NELSON — The second off-duty officer who was caught in an avalanche in the B.C. Interior earlier this month has died from his injures.

Nelson Police Service Const. Mathieu Nolet suffered severe internal injuries and died Saturday morning in Kelowna’s hospital, Chief Const. Donovan Fisher said in a video statement.

The officers were backcountry skiing near Kaslo, in a mountain pass 60 kilometres north of Nelson on Jan. 9, when they were swept down the mountain in a large avalanche.

Nolet managed to flag down a nearby group of skiers for help and they dug Const. Wade Tittemore, 43, out of the snow, but by the time rescue helicopters arrived, he had no vital signs.

Both men involved where experienced and well-trained backcountry skiers and outdoor enthusiasts with the proper equipment, probes and beacons with them, the chief said.