Photo: Facebook photo.

Jeff Keenan, from Whistler, is one of the men who died in a slide Monday

UPDATE 5:20 p.m.

The partner of a victim in Monday's avalanche that killed three snow sport veterans in British Columbia's Purcell Mountains says she tried to dig him out and revive him after arriving on the scene.

Whistler-based professional snowboarder and filmmaker Leanne Pelosi says on social media that it's "absolutely beyond devastating" to share news of Jeff Keenan's death.

Keenan, who was also a pro snowboarder and had a young son with Pelosi, was among a group of heli-skiers swept away by the avalanche in southeast B.C.

North Vancouver's Mount Seymour ski resort said in a social media post that Keenan "was a huge part of the snowboard community" and part of a group "that helped define snowboarding" in the 1990s and 2000s.

An online obituary identified another victim as snow-sport industry veteran Alex Pashley, 45, a marketing manager for winter apparel company The North Face, which mourned his loss and praised him for bringing an "irreplaceable sense of levity to the most difficult expeditions."

Stellar Heli Skiing, based in Kaslo, B.C., says the third victim was a 53-year-old guide, who was identified as the company's founder Jason Remple in a tribute from an internet firm that worked with Stellar.

"Jason was more than a partner, he was a friend, an inspiration, and a true leader in the outdoor adventure community," said the online post by VentureWeb Design.

Police said on Tuesday that a fourth man, a 40-year-old from Nelson, B.C., was rescued after the avalanche and was in critical condition.

RCMP said in a news release that the slide came down on the east side of Kootenay Lake.

The Canadian Press

ORIGINAL 12:40 p.m.

Tributes are pouring in for the three men who died in an an avalanche near Kaslo on Monday, March 24.

Whistler pro snowboarder Jeff Keenan, 44, Stellar Heli Skiing owner Jason Remple, 53, and Alex Pashley, 45, from Idaho, died in the incident. A fourth skier, 40, from nearby Nelson, is in critical condition.

"I just want to recognize and honour Jeff's kindness, passion and his empathy. Jeff really was the personification of kindness," said Mayor Jack Crompton at the March 25 Whistler council meeting.

"Jeff's contributions to snowboarding were immense, but they were overshadowed by the love and generosity he shared with his family and friends and community. The news of Jeff's passing feels too tragic to be true and our hearts go out to those closest to him. As we reflect on his legacy we'll do our best to follow in his tracks that embody those qualities to live with kindness, dedication, love and authenticity."

Stellar Heli Skiing did not name the guide that was killed in the slide, but he was widely identified on social media as company founder Jason Remple.

“We obviously are crushed by what’s happened. For the Stellar family, for the community of Kaslo. For this to happen is a tragedy,” said Marcus Gurske, a spokesperson for Stellar Heli Skiing, to CTV News.

North Vancouver's Mount Seymour posted a tribute of its own to Keenan on social media.

"Jeff was a huge part of the snowboard community at Mt. Seymour and the wider landscape. His younger days were spent here as part of the Skids (Seymour Kids), a crew of snowboarders that helped define snowboarding in the '90s and 00s," it read.

"More recently, Jeff was part of the group of riders that spawned the Baked Salmom Banked Slalom, hosted on Mt. Seymour. Jeff and his friends worked tirelessly to bring that event to life and create a space for the snowboard community to thrive.

"Jeff will be missed, but his spirit will ride on!"

According to police, on March 24, "two groups of skiers had just finished skiing the bowl and were waiting in a staging area below the treeline of Clute Creek water shed. A transport helicopter was nearing the group when the pilot observed an avalanche and sounded the siren."

One group of skiers was able to get out of harm's way, while the other group of four was swept away into the treeline, the release said.

Kaslo RCMP will continue to assist the BC Coroners Service in the investigation, the release said.

with files from Colin Dacre, Castanet News