1 dead, 3 injured in northern B.C. avalanche

One person has died and three are injured after an avalanche hit a group of heliskiers in northern British Columbiaon Tuesday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Last Frontier Heliskiing told CBCin an email the fatality and injuries happened when five peoplewere caught in the avalanche at the remote Bell 2 Lodge, around 150 kilometres north of Stewart, B.C.

The B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed it is investigating the death.

B.C. Emergency Health Services saidone patient was taken to hospital by air ambulance afterit was notified of an avalanche at 3:37 p.m. Tuesday.

It has been a particularly bad year so far for avalanche fatalities in B.C., with the death toll now at 13since January.

The deceased includetwo backcountry skierswho died near Tatla Lake, B.C.,two off-duty officerswith the Nelson Police Departmenton a ski trip near Kaslo, anAlberta mansnowmobiling south of Valemount, B.C.,two brothers from Pennsylvaniaheliskiingin B.C.'s Interior and three German tourists heliskiingoutside ofInvermere, B.C.

Avalanche Canadahascompared this season's snowpack with conditions last seen in the winter of 2002-2003, when 25 people lost their lives in B.C.'s backcountry, making itone of the province's worst years on record for avalanchefatalities.