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Blue Lake is an area I love and have been to many times so I was very saddened today to read that the ice cliffs in the background of this shot have claimed a life. My prayers go out to the family…

Person missing after Kosciuszko avalanche
14:00 AEST Sun Aug 17 2008
By ninemsn staff
At least one person is missing after an avalanche in a popular ice-climbing area in Kosciuszko National Park.
The accident occured after an ice cornice — an overhanging piece of ice on a snow drift — collapsed at around 2pm, a police spokeswoman said.
Emergency services were called shortly after and are now on site at Blue Lake in NSW where a snow line search has begun.
A SouthCcare helicopter is currently searching the area and police rescue are on their way to the site.

Avalanche fatality ‘just bad luck’
21:29 AEST Sun Aug 17 2008
A young skier killed under an avalanche of snow and ice high in the Kosciuszko National Park was the victim of “bad luck”, an experienced rescuer said.

The skier was one of three men to die in separate skiing accidents in the Perisher Valley area on Sunday, police said.

The man killed in the avalanche was a 24-year-old from the Blue Mountains town of Wentworth Falls.

He was one of five people skiing at Blue Lake, near Charlotte Pass, when it’s believed a collapsed segment of hardened snow known as an ice cornice gave way.

Emergency service crews were called in shortly after 1.30pm (AEST).

The area is a known ice-climbing site and it was initially thought the man was a climber.

His body was found about 5.45pm, police said.

Snowy Mountains State Emergency Services worker Les Threlfo said that leaving aside the Thredbo landslide, which killed 18 people in 1997, this was the first death in “30-odd years” from an avalanche in the Snowy Mountains.

“It’s very icy where the skiers have been,” Mr Threlfo told AAP.

“The area has an ice base and the snow sometimes isn’t stable.

“I’d say he’s been there, it (the snow and ice) has rolled and he’s gone.

“It was a particularly good day up here. This is just bad luck, I presume.”

The man’s body had been recovered, he said.

Eight members of the SES’s alpine rescue team, using four skidoos, arrived at the site mid-afternoon to search for the man.

They were joined by NSW Police members and a NSW Ambulance special casualty access team.

A rescue helicopter was at the scene within minutes of the alarm being raised.

Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

A 59-year-old man from the Sydney suburb of St Ives died when he skied into a tree on a run at Blue Cow called Outer Limits about 12.15pm, police said.

Just three hours later a second man, 48, of the Snowy Mountains town of Jindabyne, also died when he hit a tree while skiing.

He had successfully completed the steep Olympic run but lost control soon after.

For other shots from this area check out my Kosciuszko gallery.

To check out other mountain photographs see my Mountains gallery.

10% of all profits go to the Wilderness Society

Had a bit of an adventure at Blue Lake that you can read about here or follow the picture link below.

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