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Snowboarder dies in second fatal avalanche in British Columbia in as many days

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — A 45-year-old snowboarder died in an avalanche in northwest Canada on Saturday, the second fatality in as many days, authorities said.

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According to a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the avalanche occurred in Brandywine Bowl, an area southwest of Whistler, British Columbia.

On Friday, one skier was killed and two others were injured in two avalanches near Whistler, CBC reported.

Multiple people were caught in Saturday’s avalanche at about 2:03 p.m. PT. Rescuers began searching for them immediately, according to CTV News. The snowboarder was found about 45 minutes later and died of his injuries, according to the RCMP.

The RCMP said it was believed that the snowboarder was in a group of three people caught in the avalanche. When the snowboarder attempted to leave the area, he was caught in another avalanche, according to the RCMP.

“Four serious search and rescue calls in the last three days, two of them fatal, and a multitude of serious injuries,” RCMP Sgt. Sascha Banks said in a news release. “The calls speak for themselves. The backcountry in the Sea to Sky is not stable at the moment.

“It’s time to wait and postpone your touring trip here for another time,” Banks added. “This is hard on all of us: Search teams, bystanders, police, and most importantly the loved ones of those who have died and been injured. Their stories have valuable lessons of which we all need to learn from.”

Friday’s avalanche was a Size 3, which means it was large enough to bury a car or destroy a house, according to Avalanche Canada.

On Jan. 1, a skier was killed in the Brandywine sledding area after falling into a tree well, according to Global News.