LV man killed in avalanche

Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

A Las Vegas man died when he was buried under an avalanche in British Columbia.

Michael Bernero, 40, was the only one killed during a Class 2-plus avalanche that swept him and two other skiers off a 70-foot cliff and buried them under six feet of snow near the Blue River in the Monashee mountain range.

Alexander Vik and guide Michael Dodds were in stable condition at the Royal Inland Hospital.

The three had gone skiing Monday with a heli-skiing group, the Kamloops Daily News in British Columbia reported.

A group of eight skiers was descending one at a time to an island of safety where the lead guide, Peter Greenway, was stationed, a spokesman for Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing told the Daily News.

The run was the last of the day. Five of the eight made it to the guide when a small avalanche was triggered to the right of the remaining three skiers.

"The lead guide just reached for his radio as they were caught up in a second avalanche and swept over a cliff, where they were buried," Greenway said.

Five helicopters were dispatched to rescue the skiers buried under six feet of snow. All three were located using transmitters and probes within five minutes of the rescue crew's arrival. Several doctors skiing with the group were there when the men were pulled out.