UPDATE: AHS response to the Columbia Icefields accident

EDMONTON – UPDATE: We are extremely proud of the healthcare and emergency services teams that provided a quick, cohesive and comprehensive response to the accident at the Columbia Icefield yesterday afternoon.

At the same time, our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the families and loved ones of the three people who died, as well as those patients who were injured.

A total of 24 patients were treated at the scene and transported to hospitals in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, and Banff.

The updated list of patients injured in the accident is:

• Fourteen patients were transported in critical condition, with primarily head or pelvis injuries;
• Five patients were transported in serious condition, with leg and/or shoulder fractures;
• Five patients were transported in stable condition, with minor injuries.

Sadly, three people died at the scene.

Nineteen of the 24 patients were transported by ambulance or STARS to the Jasper-Hinton airport, and were then transferred to hospital by fixed wing air ambulances.

Five patients were transported by ground ambulance to either Banff Mineral Spring Hospital or Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.

The response to the accident involved 28 ground ambulances, fixed wing ambulances, and helicopter resources from the North, Edmonton, Central and Calgary Zones.

Ground ambulances responded from Calgary, Jasper, Nordegg, Banff, Rocky Mountain House, Canmore, Hinton, Edmonton, and Sundre. Air ambulances responded from Lac La Biche, Slave Lake and Edmonton.

Due to the extremely difficult terrain and no road access to the crash site, some patients were triaged and treated near the bus before being airlifted from the scene to waiting ambulances at a nearby staging area. The first ground ambulance arrived from Jasper at 3:17 p.m., and the last patient was transported from the scene at 8:43 p.m.

Hospitals in both Edmonton and Calgary were put on “Code Orange” alert so that they were prepared for the high number of patients with critical and serious injuries.

The response was a coordinated effort, involving first responders and emergency teams, as well as our dispatch and RAAPID staff, and frontline teams at our hospitals.

We are grateful to our partners at STARS, Canwest Air, Associated Ambulance, Parks Canada, RCMP and Covenant Health EMS.