Invermere (BC), Canada – Initially fearing as many as a dozen victims, rescuers on Sunday successfully recovered two victims from a large avalanche in the sidecountry at Panorama Mountain Village west of Invermere.

Witness accounts ranged from five to 12 skiers trapped by the 2:30 p.m. slide in the Taynton Bowl area beyond Panorama’s boundary rope, but by nightfall RCMP officials were convinced that the avalanche buried only two victims, one man and one woman. Both were transported to Invermere and District Hospital, one with possible spinal injuries. Both are expected to survive.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre reported the avalanche danger in the Purcell Mountains on Sunday as moderate to considerable. Ten victims have died in avalanche incidents in British Columbia thus far this season.