
West Bowl area of Sun Peaks where three skiers and snowboarders were found alive after venturing out of bounds on Friday afternoon/via Sun Peaks
Another call to duty for Kamloops Search and Rescue at Sun Peaks this week, but this time with better results.
KSAR teams were called into action late Friday afternoon, after a group of three skiers and snowboarders failed to rendezvous with the rest of their group while skiing off-piste on Tod Mountain.
Sun Peaks Management says their own teams, with the help of KSAR and Barriere Search and Rescue, searched through the evening for the trio, who were eventually found at 4:45am, according to Kamloops Search and Rescue.
“Subjects were located by our ground teams and Hummingbird Drones,” said Kamloops Search and Rescue in an online post. “Together they [KSAR and missing group] bushwhacked their way down the mountain. Around 6[am] they were back at the village and passed on to BCEHS for evaluation.”
Cold and tired, Search and Rescue says the group was otherwise fine.
No details have been provided about who was in the group, or where on the mountain they were located.
Sun Peaks Management does confirm the group ignored posted warnings and decided to hit out-of-bounds powder.
“We want to reinforce the importance of never leaving the ski area boundary,” warned Sun Peaks in an online update about the successful rescue of the group. “These boundaries are clearly roped to ensure the safety and protection of all our on-mountain guests. Beyond these ropes lies terrain that has limited to no cellular service, is unpatrolled, often not skiable, and extremely difficult to exit safely.”

Ski lift and tracks from the West Bowl area of Sun Peaks/via Sun Peaks
The Resort also says its now working internally on how to better educate skiers and snowboarders of the dangers of going off-piste.
“The new West Bowl chairlift offers incredible opportunities for skiers and snowboarders to explore exciting new in-bound terrain suitable for intermediate and advanced levels,” boasted Resort Management. “However, we urge all guests to remain vigilant and to respect the ski area boundary at all times. Never venture beyond the ski area boundary.”
In making the statement, the Resort has also confirmed that this was the scenario which appears to have led to the death of 68 year old Tomasz Joholkowski earlier in the week.
“It is important to note that, in all recent instances of missing persons on our mountain, the individuals chose to ignore the roped and signed ski area boundary,” Sun Peaks Management revealed.
Joholkowski was last seen late Tuesday morning entering a chair lift at Sun Peaks, and was never heard from again.

Photo of Tomasz Jaholkowski at Sun Peaks on Tuesday morning at 11:35am/via Kamloops RCMP
An exhaustive search involving the Resort’s Ski Patrol, Kamloops Search and Rescue and the RCMP scoured the mountains for over two days, including the use of Hummingbird Drones and helicopters, before the 68 year old’s body was discovered in — what we now know was — an out-of-bounds area.
“We thank all of the search and rescue volunteer team members and our own employees for their continued efforts during these challenging situations,” said Sun Peaks.
“Please, stay safe, make good choices, and help spread the word.”