3/11/15 Avalanche Report

The incident involving a local guide occurred in the vicinity of the proposed venue site while five international and local mountain guides were assessing snow conditions to ensure a safe environment for the athletes during the upcoming competition.

The safety check was requested by Mr. Scott Sundberg and Mr. Nicholas Hale-Woods and  authorized by the Borough Manager based on the provisions of Resolution No. 14-12-605 passed by the Assembly on 16 Dec 2014.  This Resolution established a window for the Freeride World Tour (FWT) competition from March 9-22, 2015 and identified that there would be time on either side of the competition for logistic and safety operations. The Borough Manager spoke with representatives of FWT and was informed that during the inspection a small avalanche was triggered resulting in one guide deploying his airbag and rescue procedures being implemented by the rest of the team. The quick response facilitated the successful recovery of the guide and no injuries were sustained. FWT representatives informed the Borough Manager that they continue to monitor the environment and will assess conditions to ensure the safety of the competition participants and determine the best time and conditions for the event.