A Quebec man who watched his wife die during nine frigid days lost in the B.C. backcountry is suing for negligence.
In a statement of claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, 51-year-old Gilles Blackburn is seeking damages from the RCMP, Golden Search and Rescue and the Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
He claims that, between Feb. 17 and 21, all three organizations were informed of SOS signals he stamped into the snow in the mountains near Golden, 700 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, but a search was not launched.
On Feb. 24, the pilot of a helicopter flying overhead spotted Blackburn frantically waving for help and he was rescued.
Blackburn's wife, 44-year-old Marie-Josee Fortin, died of hypothermia during the ordeal.
His lawsuit seeks damages for permanent loss of parts of both feet as well as nervous shock, depression and anxiety.
