COLUMBIA ICEFIELD – Three passengers of an Ice Explorer are dead and others are critically injured after the all-terrain vehicle rolled over at the Columbia Icefield Adventure Saturday (July 18).
According to RCMP, emergency services responded to the scene, located in the Athabasca Valley along Highway 93, at approximately 1 p.m.
An update at 8:15 p.m. confirmed that three passengers of the vehicle were dead and a number of others were critically injured.
Cpl. Leigh Drinkwater indicated there were 27 occupants of the vehicle when it rolled over.
"The injured were transported from the site of the rollover to the triage site by various helicopter companies contracted by Parks Canada," Drinkwater wrote in the RCMP news release. "From there, the injured were transported to various area hospitals via STARS air ambulance ground ambulance."
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Jasper RCMP, along with a K-Division collision analyst, continue to investigate the cause of the rollover.
Banff and Lake Louise RCMP assisted in the response along with EMS, Jasper and Lake Louise fire departments, STARS Air Ambulance, Alpine Helicopters Inc. and Parks Canada visitor safety specialists.
Highway 93, also known as the Icefields Parkway, remains open at this time.
The Columbia Icefield Adventure is 160 kilometres from Banff and 108 km from Jasper. The visitor experience is operated by Pursuit and takes guests to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, which forms part of the icefield.
According to the company's website, the specially designed Ice Explorers can fit up to 56 passengers.
This story will be updated as more details become available.
