A community is in mourning for Squamish's Caroline Favot, 30, who died while snowmobiling on Brohm Ridge on March 9.
Favot was sledding on the mountain with friends when she hit a tree.
An obituary for her says she is originally from Oakville, Ont.
“Beautiful both inside and out, Caroline lived her life with an unwavering spirit of generosity and adventure. She was a free spirit and approached each day with boundless energy, embracing every moment with enthusiasm and grace that touched all who knew her,” reads the obituary posted to the Squamish Funeral Chapel site.
The obituary also noted Favot’s lifelong love of the outdoors.
After mentoring students through her work as an educational assistant, Favot had recently applied to the University of British Columbia to pursue a bachelor of education, according to the post.
Favot is listed as having been an education assistant at Squamish Waldorf School, where her obituary said those who wish to could make a donation in her memory.
Everything possible was done
Payam Kavousian, the Black Tusk Snowmobile Club's director of communications, was at the club’s chalet on that Saturday afternoon, shortly after 5 p.m., when a bystander ran into the building looking for help after Favot hit the nearby tree.
"She was going to turn her snowmobile around near the cabin, but when she started her engine, the frozen throttle cable caused the snowmobile to accelerate at full speed toward the tree. Caroline held on to the sled to try to stop or control it. It took less than three seconds for the sled to hit the tree, so she had no time to assess or react," Kavousian said, adding that Favot was relatively new to snowmobiling.
A group from the clubhouse ran to the accident site to help her.
Kavousian said Favot was tended to within 30 seconds of the crash.
"911 was immediately called and [Squamish Search and Rescue] was deployed. We opened the first aid room in the chalet and brought out a backboard and transported her to the clubhouse."
Several first responders were on hand, including a licensed practical nurse, and others who had recently taken their wilderness first aid course at the chalet.
Soon another club member, who is an advanced paramedic, also arrived and worked to try and save Favot.
Everything possible was done to save Favot, Kavousian stressed.
"With consultation with SAR and emergency physicians on the phone, we eventually stopped the efforts as she had passed due to her injuries," he said.
Favot's celebration of life was held on Saturday, March 16. With the help and donations from No Limits Helicopters and The Adventure Group in Whistler, the club managed to fly her parents to Brohm Ridge and bring several of her closest friends up by ground.
"It was a beautiful sunny day and her parents and siblings got to see what drew her into the mountains. This helped bring closure to her parents as well as the rest of us who attended the accident," he said.
According to her obituary, a service is being planned for those who could not attend the service in Squamish.
The Squamish Chief reached out to Squamish Waldorf School for comment by phone and email, but it is spring break.
The BC Coroners Service does not identify individuals but confirmed to The Squamish Chief that they were investigating the death of a snowmobiler that occurred on Brohm Ridge on March 9.
The Squamish RCMP referred media questions to the coroner.
