Skier pulled from Vancouver Island avalanche

A report on the Avalanche Canada website says one skier has been seriously hurt in an avalanche on central Vancouver Island.

The report says it happened Sunday on Mount Cameron, southwest of Courtenay.

Two skiers were caught in a slide that carried both almost 200 metres down a slope, leaving one buried nearly 1.5 metres under the debris.

The report says the second skier skidded along the slide's surface and was able to locate and free the injured person within about five minutes, but the exact condition of that person hasn't been released.

The report comes as Avalanche Canada says recent heavy snowfall has raised the slide risk to high in the alpine and some treeline sections from the South Coast and Sea-to-Sky, east to the entire Columbia range and the Kootenay-Boundary region.

Conditions are changing and avalanche danger is on the rise for many regions over Sunday and Monday, as storms roll in. Be sure to make choices that suit the changing situation!

Get the forecast 👉https://t.co/JwMaRhQejp pic.twitter.com/8l72poqy38

— Avalanche Canada (@avalancheca) January 31, 2021

A high rating means very dangerous snow conditions exist and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended.