A skier was found dead Friday (Jan. 29) at Mammoth Mountain ski resort.
The unidentified skier was a 52-year-old man from Oceanside. He was discovered around noon time, buried in snow at Mammoth, which is located in the eastern Sierra range along the Highway 395 corridor, approximately 250 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
According to a statement from ski resort authorities, the ski patrol responded to a report of an unconscious skier who was found upside down in deep snow near the intersection of the Redwing and Hully Gully trails. The location is close to Chair 8, not far from the bottom of the mountain on its eastern slope.
When the ski patrol arrived, other skiers were working to dig out the skier. Once the body was located, the ski patrol began CPR and also used an automated external defibrillator because he didn’t have a pulse. After being rushed to the nearest hospital, the skier was pronounced dead at Mammoth Hospital.
A cause of death was not immediately known but is “related to the snow in some way,” Mono County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Sarah Roberts said in an emailed statement to KTLA TV in Los Angeles. No further details were provided about the incident.
According to the National Ski Areas Association, snow immersion suffocation incidents are very rare. Statistics from the 2016-2017 season show six fatal cases and 41 total in the 10-year period.
A message on the Mammoth website noted the dangers of skiing in conditions like Friday. “This storm is another reminder about the power of Mother Nature. Conditions are currently dangerous,” the message said.
HUGE SNOW TOTALS AT MAMMOTH: Like Tahoe ski resorts, Mammoth Mountain was mired in blizzard-like conditions at times this week. The snow at Mammoth was much more than Tahoe received. Mammoth was reporting 113 inches at its summit Friday afternoon, which is just shy of 9½ feet of snow. The snow level grew to 125 inches by Friday evening.
Mammoth received 24 inches of snow Tuesday and that amount was more than doubled Wednesday when a whopping 52 inches was reported. The resort was hit hard again Thursday with 31inches.
Much like Tahoe ski resorts, the storm at Mammoth was letting up Friday and the weather was improving. However, less than half of the resort’s lifts were operational and only 31 trails were open.
With the abundance of snow, Mammoth officials expect a busy weekend. Passes were already sold out for Saturday. Resort officials are warning skiers and snowboarders that the threat resulting from the storm will likely linger.
“It will take considerable time and extreme caution and care by our team to dig out and prepare the mountain to open the next few days,” the website message said. “Please be aware that lifts and facilities will be significantly delayed in the coming days. Snow Immersion Suffocation (SIS) danger will remain a threat through the weekend – ski and ride with a buddy and keep your buddy in sight at all times.”
