January 11, 2012

Investigation continues in Revelstoke, British Columbia avalanche death of Lafarge executive

RICHARD GILBERT

joc staff writer

An investigation is underway into the death of an Ontario man, who was a senior executive with Lafarge in Dubai and was caught in an avalanche while skiing near Revelstoke, British Columbia.

“To date the investigation has determined that the guided group of heli-skiers with Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH), were heli-skiing in an area 32 kilometres southeast of Revelstoke and between 13:30 and 14:00 MST (on Dec. 30, 2011), when a skier triggered an avalanche, while the group was on the Selkirk run, located in the Holyk Creek drainage,” said RCMP Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.

“Four skiers were buried, three of which only partially and the fourth completely buried. The three were pulled free uninjured, with the fourth man being eventually located via his avalanche transceiver.”

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Ronald Gregory Sheardown, 45, who is originally from Stouffville, Ont., was unresponsive when located.

“CMH crews attended the location with physicians to provide emergency medical care, however their efforts were unsuccessful in reviving the man,” said Moskaluk.

“The remainder of the group was flown off the mountain by CMH, without further incident.”

Sheardown was pronounced deceased on arrival at the Queen Victoria Hospital in Revelstoke.

The avalanche was categorized as a class 2.5.

The fracture line of the avalanche occurred at an elevation of about 1,850 metres. The avalanche path was about 75 metres wide and ran for a distance of about 250 metres.

The Revelstoke RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service are continuing their investigation into the death.

A married man with three children, Sheardown had recently been promoted to head Lafarge’s Dubai office.

He moved up through the ranks at Lafarge, a French industrial company specialising in cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard, and was transferred to Cairo in 2009.

He was transferred to Dubai earlier in 2011, after the uprising in Egypt.

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