Three mountaineers who went missing in Garibaldi Provincial Park at the end of May have been found dead.
Sea to Sky RCMP says the three bodies were recovered in the area of Atwell Peak on July 8.
Glacier Media has learned that the trio was found in avalanche debris. It is not clear if the group fell and were buried or if they were caught in an avalanche.
B.J. Chute, manager of Squamish Search and Rescue, also confirmed the three bodies have been found.
"Members of Squamish Search and Rescue worked with the RCMP this morning to recover the bodies of three individuals in the Atwell Peak area,” says Chute. "The task has been turned over to the RCMP and the Coroner Service."
RCMP will not be releasing the individuals' names.
Glacier Media continues to honour the families’ request that we not divulge the names.
"[Police] are in touch with the families, who are requesting privacy during this difficult time. The names of the deceased will not be released," says Const. Eden Johner.
The trio set out to climb Atwell Peak in Garibaldi Provincial Park and did not return back down on May 31. They were reported missing by a family member and the search for the group started.
One of the individuals successfully made it to Atwell Peak, per social media posts seen by Glacier Media.
Fewer than five people summit Atwell Peak per year, according to a local guide who has made it to the top of the mountain.
Atwell Peak is 2,655 metres in elevation and is considered one of the steeper and more inaccessible peaks in Garibaldi Provincial Park. When the group went missing, the conditions were wet, cold and snowy.
SAR members were pulled back and the search was paused due to hazardous conditions and avalanche risk on June 6.
