West Vancouver (BC), Canada – A 26-year-old resident of Vancouver died on Saturday in a backcountry skiing accident near Cypress Mountain ski area.

West Vancouver Police say that the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon in Cypress Provincial Park in the vicinity of Hollyburn Ridge and the Baden Powell Trail, which is considered backcountry terrain and not part of Cypress Mountain ski resort. Two showshoers came to the aid of a male who was trying to help his friend who had fallen into a muddy creek embankment. One of the showshoers managed to contact the BC Ambulance Service while the other two parties performed CPR until North Shore Rescue and Cypress Mountain personnel attended the scene.

The victim was later extricated from the scene by helicopter with the assistance of North Shore Rescue personnel on long lines and then transferred to a waiting ambulance by the Cleveland Dam. He subsequently died of injuries sustained in the mishap, the nature of which are unknown at press time.

The man’s identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.