“It’s a favourite of literally millions who have come here to visit, so we’re deeply saddened with this tragedy today.”, The company’s fleet includes 22 vehicles, all of which McKenna said were “constantly refurbished.”. Fifteen people were on board the vehicle at the time of the crash … “Right now it would be inappropriate of me to give any comment outside of the investigation,” president David McKenna told media Sunday afternoon. The boardwalk leads from Jasper to Lake Louise through Banff and Jasper National Parks and is one of Canada’s most scenic drives. COLUMBIA ICEFIELD, Alta. Fourteen people were transported in critical condition, with primarily head or pelvis injuries, five people were in serious condition, with leg and shoulder fractures and five people were taken to hospital in stable condition with minor injuries, according to AHS. Want to discuss? The Columbia Icefields are one of the largest non-polar icefields in the world. And to the first responders, thank you for your quick action and hard work. Jasper RCMP Investigate Ice Explorer Rollover in the Columbia Icefields – UPDATE. A witness' photo of the bus crash near the Columbia Icefield in Alberta's Jasper National Park, in which three people were killed and several more … The company reopened the icefield tours about a month ago with 50 per … Jasper, Banff and Lake Louise RCMP and EMS officers were dispatched to the scene. Update: Investigation Continues into Fatal Columbia Icefields Accident, Influencer Marketing Platform Afrostylicity is Leveraging Social Media to Generate Sales Amidst Social Distancing, July 21, 2020 – Ontario Premier Doug Ford Media Conference, Alberta COVID-19 Update: November 30, 2020, Alberta Under a State of Public Health Emergency, November 26, 2020 – Alberta COVID-19 Update, Alberta Puts New Measures in Place to Stem the Surge of COVID-19, NetNewsLedger – Statement of Journalistic Standards, Scotties Tournament of Hearts for 2021 Moves to Calgary, December 1, 2020 Update on COVID-19 in Alberta, COVID-19 Outbreak at The Walford Retirement Home in Thunder Bay. RCMP attend the scene of a sightseeing bus rollover at the Columbia Icefields near Jasper, Alta., Sunday, July 19, 2020. ... update Article was updated Jul. The crash at the Columbia Icefield on Saturday afternoon kills three people and leaves 24 others badly injured. ... update Article was updated Jul. The Ice Explorer involved in the crash is part of Banff Jasper Collection by Pursuit’s fleet, which provides tours in the area. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 19, 2020. “We were parked facing the glacier and you could still see dust. It is located about 100 kilometres south of Jasper and accessed from Highway 93 North, the Icefields Parkway. “Prayers for all involved in the incident.” The Columbia Icefield is one of the largest non-polar icefields in the world. “Nineteen of the 24 patients were transported by ambulance or STARS to the Jasper-Hinton airport, and were then transferred to hospital by fixed wing air ambulances,” AHS said in a statement, “Five patients were transported by ground ambulance to either Banff Mineral Spring Hospital or Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.”. STARS said two patients were transported in critical, potentially life-threatening condition. Three people died and 24 others were injured when a coach motor vehicle rolled over at the Columbia Icefield south of Jasper, Alta. Rob Kanty said he was on the same tour about an hour before the crash. When we looked a little bit closer you could still see some rocks sliding down the hill, so we were like, ‘Oh, there was a rockslide,'” he said. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP) The Columbia Icefield is about 100 kilometers south of Jasper on Highway 93, known as the Icefields Parkway. Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirmed three adults died in the crash, while the other 24 people on the shuttle suffered various injuries and were transported to hospitals in Hinton, Grande Prairie, Edmonton and Calgary. “Our investigation into the rollover is still ongoing. “An update will be provided following the investigation,” McKenna said. An RCMP cruiser sits in front of the Columbia Icefield near Jasper, Alta. ; a 28-year-old female from Edmonton; and a 58-year-old male from India. “Saddened to hear of this accident in the Icefields,” Kenney said. NNL covers a large region of Ontario, but are also widely read around the country and the world. Fifteen people were on board the vehicle at the time of the crash … As the next-of-kin notifications have been completed, we are able to advise that the victims of this fatality are a 24-year-old female from Canoe Narrows, Sask. A 31-year-old man was flown to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton and a middle-aged woman was taken to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary. “Efforts are currently underway to remove the vehicle and complete a mechanical inspection. Kanty said he was in the parking lot of the Discovery Centre when he was asked by an employee to leave. Lying partially within Jasper National Park, it is one of the most accessible expanses of glacial ice in North America. It is located about 100 kilometres south of Jasper and accessed from Highway 93 North, the Icefields Parkway. We got passed by three or four ambulances, a couple fire trucks and many many parks emergency vehicles.”. The RCMP must also protect the physical integrity of the vehicle pending its examination as part of this investigation”. — The president of the company that runs the bus tours at the Columbia Icefield between Banff and Jasper said changes will be made, if necessary, after a rollover on the glacier killed three people and sent two dozen to hospital. Jasper RCMP investigate Ice Explorer rollover in the Columbia Icefields – Update #4 Columbia Icefields, Alta. But I can say we have been in touch with the family.”. Partner of Sask. “We’re actively reaching out to the families of those affected offering support as needed and requested.”. RCMP say that “Efforts are currently underway to remove the Ice Explorer vehicle; however, it may take several days. The cause of … “We went down at the bottom of the hill to go look closer at the foot of the icefields and as we were looking up we noticed one of the vehicles looked like it was flipped up with the wheels up,” Bye said. As of late July 19, 2020, Alberta RCMP was able to confirm the remaining occupants who were critically injured, only four were still considered to be in critical but in stable condition. Pursuit requires all of its drivers to have a Class 2 licence with an air brake endorsement, similar to what anyone who drives a highway motorcoach would have. “We didn’t see emergency vehicles for a while afterwards and couldn’t tell when they first arrived. “We’ve been operating these vehicles since the early 80s, so we’ve had over 16 million passengers safely taken onto the ice over all these years,” McKenna said. According to McKenna, that’s the minimum requirement when applying for the job and then the company gives staff “extensive” in-house training on the operation of Pursuit’s vehicles. “Unfortunately when we looked a little bit closer we saw the rockslide also took out one of the snow coaches and it ended up landing on its roof at the bottom.”. The vehicle had 27 people aboard – 26 passengers and one driver – when the accident happened. RCMP said a coach vehicle rolled over near Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre on Highway 93 Saturday. Highway 93 remains open at this time, and we are asking the public to stay clear of the area of the collision so that police and emergency workers have room to continue to do our work. on July 19, 2020. The incident occurred three months after Pursuit reopened, having shut down its operations in March due to COVID-19's devastating effect on the tourism industry. Rachelle Elsiufi has more witness reaction. RCMP say injured from sightseeing bus crash near Jasper, AB were transported to hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton, RCMP say injured from sightseeing bus crash near Jasper, AB were transported to hospitals in Calgary and Edmonton – Jul 19, 2020, Tour company in bus rollover crash near Jasper, AB pausing operations as RCMP conducts investigation, Tour company in bus rollover crash near Jasper, AB pausing operations as RCMP conducts investigation – Jul 19, 2020, Tour company in crash says this is first incident involving fatality in 39 years, Tour company in crash says this is first incident involving fatality in 39 years – Jul 19, 2020, Canada’s coronavirus cases surge past 380K while daily death toll average stands at 87, Vaccine advisory committee recommends new ranked roll-out, with long-term care at top, Boy, 5, fatally struck after he was kicked out of car as punishment, Britain approves Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for use, 1st in world to do so, Disturbing footage shows train running over dozens of antelope, Elliot Page: Canadian actor announces he’s transgender, ‘This has to stop’: U.S. election officials condemn Trump, allies as threats increase, Another metal monolith appears in Romania, then vanishes, Mysterious monolith discovered in Romania after similar structure disappears in Utah desert, Boy, 5, fatally struck on Alabama highway after he was kicked out of car as punishment, Mysterious monolith in Utah desert disappears, COVID-19 vaccine committee’s new advice on who should get inoculated first, Oregon nurse seen bragging about COVID-19 violations in TikTok video, Driver killed after being struck by own tour bus in Columbia Icefield parking lot, Tour bus driver in deadly 2017 Canada Place crash fined, Tour bus driver in fatal Banff crash pleads guilty, is suspended and fined, 2 Canadians among 57 injured in Peru tour bus crash that killed 9. At this time, Alberta RCMP is unable to confirm the cause of the rollover. Columbia Icefield, largest ice field in the Rocky Mountains, astride the British Columbia–Alberta border, Canada. woman who died in Alta. One occupant was in serious but stable condition. A rolled-over tour bus rests where it fell on the Columbia Icefield near Jasper, Alta., Sunday, July 19, 2020. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent his condolences on Twitter to those impacted by the tragic incident. The names of the victims will not be released. RCMP said a coach vehicle rolled over near Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre on Highway 93 Saturday. © Copyright © 2014 - 2020 NetNewsledger.com. Lake Louise is … The Icefield forms a high altitude ice-cap that lies on a plateau the Athabasca Glacier is a large toe that extends down from the Columbia Icefield. An investigation continues into the cause of an all-terrain shuttle vehicle rollover near the Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre Saturday afternoon that resulted in three deaths and many injuries. They are located about 100 kilometres south of Jasper and are accessed from Highway 93, the Icefields Parkway. The crash occurred at 2:09 p.m. Saturday at the Columbia Icefield tourist site just off Highway 93, near the southern end of Jasper National Park. It forms a high-elevation ice cap on a flat-lying plateau that A Red Deer mother and daughter tell CityNews they were minutes away from boarding the fatal Columbia Icefield tour bus in Jasper National Park. Mounties say they remain at the Columbia Icefield between Banff and Jasper with a collision reconstructionist, occupational health and safety personnel, Parks Canada, and removal crews The Jasper and Lake Louise Fire Departments also responded. Pursuit said it is supporting the RCMP in its investigation and the company has suspended its operations in the Columbia Icefield. The identities of the three victims have not yet been released. NetNewsledger.com or NNL offers news, information, opinions and positive ideas for Thunder Bay, Ontario, Northwestern Ontario and the world. Write CSS OR LESS and hit save. All Rights Reserved. The company reopened the icefield tours about a month ago with 50 per … on Saturday afternoon, Sunday, July 19, 2020… “I’d like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased as well as our sympathy to those injured in the accident,” vice president of operations Stuart Back said. icefield crash calls for increased bus safety CBC News confirmed on Monday that Dionne Jocelyn Durocher was the … Jul 20, 2020, 5:03 PM . We also wish a full recovery to those who were injured. “It was the full, maximum load that we could take under the COVID rules,” McKenna said. Durocher died after an off-road bus crashed during a tour of the Columbia Icefield south of Jasper, Alta., on Saturday, July 18, 2020… Three people died and 24 others were injured when a coach motor vehicle rolled over at the Columbia Icefield south of Jasper, Alta. The company reopened the icefield tours about a month ago with 50 per … — A lone RCMP truck with its lights flashing guarded the entrance to the road on Sunday where a snow coach crash killed at least three people and left 14 others badly hurt. “An update will be provided following the investigation,” McKenna said. — A lone RCMP truck with its lights flashing guarded the entrance to the road on Sunday where a snow coach crash … At this time, we are unable to confirm the cause of the rollover.”. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. “An update will be provided following the investigation,” McKenna said. “I think we need to let the investigators do the work and then we can all find out and get to the root of the accident.”. Four passengers were in serious, but stable condition, six were in stable condition and three passengers were killed in the crash. RCMP attend the scene of a sightseeing bus rollover at the Columbia Icefields near Jasper, Alta., Sunday, July 19, 2020. 1/ Multiple EMS crews attended the tragic accident on the Columbia Icefield this afternoon. An update from Alberta Health Services indicated that of the 27 passengers on the Ice Explorer at the Columbia Icefield Adventure when it rolled over, 14 were transported in critical life-threatening condition. RCMP attend the scene of a sightseeing bus rollover at the Columbia Icefields near Jasper, Alta., Sunday, July 19, 2020. An update from Alberta Health Services indicated that of the 27 passengers on the Ice Explorer at the Columbia Icefield Adventure when it rolled over, 14 were transported in critical life-threatening condition. “I can’t really give you details or a name as the police have not released that information yet.