Skiing deaths, like the one that took the life of Tahoe teenager Scotty Lapp on Sunday (Feb. 13), have been taking place nationwide in recent weeks.
According to a story by Snowbrains.com, there have been 10 skiing deaths in the past three-plus weeks at North American ski resorts.
Skiing deaths are nothing new at Tahoe ski resorts. It’s sadly a yearly event in a sport that certainly has its inherent danger. The most notable Tahoe ski resort death was Sonny Bono dying at Heavenly Mountain ski resort in 1998.
Skiing deaths are not always reported by individual ski resorts. They are not required to share information about deaths that occur on ski runs, just as they don’t have to share details about accidents or injuries.
Earlier this ski season on Christmas Day, local Northstar California skier Rory Angelotta was lost during blizzard conditions. Nearly two weeks later, his dead body was located approximately a half mile from Northstar in a residential neighborhood near Schaffer Mill Creek.
SKIING DEATHS PER YEAR: According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there are an estimated 24 skiing and snowboarding related deaths per year in the United States.
Skiing and snowboarding related deaths in Colorado typically account for approximately half of total skiing-related deaths in the United States. Tahoe Ski World could find no yearly statistics on ski-related deaths in the Lake Tahoe region.
In the 2020-21 ski season in Colorado, there were at least 11 skiers killed in traumatic crashes at the state’s 26 ski areas this season.
10 RECENT SKI-RELATED DEATHS
ALTA SKI AREA: A teenage boy died after a skier collision in the Sugarloaf area at Alta Ski Area in Utah. The accident took place Monday (Feb. 14).
A yet-to-be identified 14-year-old was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital, but died from his injuries.
PALISADES TAHOE: At around 2 pm Sunday, two teens, one on the Palisades Tahoe Big Mountain Competition Team and another from the Olympic Valley Freestyle Team, were skiing on the Yellow Trail on the Alpine Meadows side of the resort when they collided, according to resort spokesperson Kat Walton.
The collision claimed the life of 15-year-old Scotty Lapp, who attended North Tahoe High School.
FERNIE ALPINE RESORT: The death occurred at approximately 3:30 pm, when a 65-year-old Calgary man was killed after he encountered an icy portion and lost an edge at the British Columbia ski resort on Feb. 13.
Mt. BACHELOR: Last week, two skiers lost their lives in separate incidents on consecutive days at the Oregon ski resort.
On Friday (Feb. 11), Mt. Bachelor ski patrol responded to a skier injury around 12:30 pm. The skier was taken to a landing zone in the West Village, where he was transferred to Bend Fire and Rescue.
The skier, a 66-year-old man, was pronounced dead from his injuries at 1 pm.
One day later on Feb. 12, the ski patrol again responded to an injured skier just after 12:30 pm. The skier was taken to the First Aid Room in the West Village, where care was transferred to Bend Fire and Rescue. The 60-year-old male skier was pronounced dead at about 1:25 pm.
COPPER MOUNTAIN: On Feb. 9, a 21-year-old Pennsylvania man lost control and hit a rock at Copper Mountain in Colorado, resulting in his death.
SOLITUDE MOUNTAIN: A Utah surgeon died Feb. 3 at the Utah ski resort, which is located 30 miles from Salt Lake City.
Andrew Gagnon, a 38-year-old transplant surgeon at Intermountain Healthcare, died after an accident in the “experts only” skiing area.
Gagnon fell off a 100-foot cliff and then tumbled further down into rocky and tree-covered terrain. Although he was wearing a helmet, he did not survive.
JACKSON HOLE: Also on Feb. 3, the famed Wyoming ski resort reported the death of a visiting male skier who collided with a tree on Gros Ventre during a morning run.
MT HOOD: A 30-year-old man from Illinois died in a skiing accident at the Oregon ski resort.
It is believed Michael Snell lost control on the advanced Ridge Run trail before going off-trail and sliding down the Four Bowl trail. Snell crashed into a tree before falling down the slope.
He was transported to the Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Mountain Clinic, but attempts to revive him at the scene, transport, and clinic were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the medical center.
COPPER MOUNTAIN: A Denver man died in a ski crash at the Colorado ski resort.
Nicholas Vigil, 24, was skiing with friends through the trees along the intermediate Collage Run when he lost control and crashed. The coroner’s office said he suffered a traumatic brain injury, and his death was ruled an accident.
