Skier killed in Nakiska avalanche identified as Calgary high school student
Posted Mar 2, 2026 5:50 pm.
Last Updated Mar 2, 2026 5:52 pm.
A Calgary high school is mourning the loss of one of its students who died after being caught in an avalanche at the Nakiska Ski Resort late last week.
Students and staff at Queen Elizabeth High School were somber Monday as the Calgary Board of Education confirmed 15-year-old Emilio Hrazdira was the teen killed in Friday’s slide.
RCMP said two skiers were buried in the avalanche just before 1 p.m. Friday. One managed to dig themselves out, while first responders pulled Hrazdira out unconscious.
He later died in hospital.
Hrazdira was a competitive skier and a member of the Lake Louise Ski Club. In a statement, the club’s president called his death “a devastating loss for the family, our ski club and the broader ski racing and freeride community.”
Friends have been posting tributes on social media, remembering him as a passionate skier who loved to make people laugh.
According to Avalanche Canada, the slide was triggered by a group of two who were bootpacking up a slope.
RCMP initially reported the skiers were within resort boundaries but later said that, because no criminal investigation is underway, they would not be providing further updates.
Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which owns Nakiska, did not clarify where the avalanche occurred. The company said it is conducting a full investigation and will release more information when available.
