Mounties in British Columbia say a 28-year-old American woman has died after falling from a popular hiking trail near Whistler.
Sea to Sky RCMP have identified the woman as Nicole Killian from Richmond, Vermont, who was a member of a rescue team in her hometown.
Sea to Sky officers as well as RCMP Air Services, BC Ambulance paramedics and Whistler Search and Rescue responded to a report that a woman had fallen off the Black Tusk chimney portion of Garibaldi Provincial Park on Monday and was seriously injured.
Police say she died of her injuries a short time after they arrived to provide medical aid.
They say the RCMP, the BC Coroners Service and BC Parks are now working on a joint investigation to determine events leading up the incident.
They are asking anyone with information to come forward.
“Garibaldi Provincial Park and the Black Tusk is a highly popular area in the Sea to Sky and although readily travelled this remains a technical and advanced level hike,” RCMP Sgt. Sascha Banks said in a news release Tuesday.
“The Black Tusk Chimney and scree portion can be extremely dangerous to even the most skilled adventurer. Be sure to trip-plan and assess your abilities prior to attempting this area.”
Police say Killian was a member of the Richmond Rescue team in Vermont. Her family has been notified, they said.
Killian is remembered as a “rescuer of dogs and people alike” who “loved her friends and family deeply,” says a statement from her family, provided by police.
“She had just earned her doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner from NYU after working tirelessly in the ER and Rescue,” the statement said. “She was impeccably herself and is irreplaceable.”