3 Die, 1 Critically Injured In Separate Skiing Incidents
Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:10 pm
Three Die, One Critically Injured In Separate Skiing Incidents
by George Shirk
Three people, including a 16-year-old skier, lost their lives in separate incidents on Mammoth Mountain last weekend, while another remains hospitalized in critical condition after colliding with a tree.
The first victim, Benjamin David Trees, 16, of San Diego, was fatally injured in the South Park terrain park, near Roller Coaster Express, according to Joani Lynch, Mammoth Mountain Communiciations Director.
In a written statement, Lynch said that "witnesses indicate the skier was carrying excessive speed" approaching a jump, which caused him to miss the landing area.
A Mono County Sheriff spokesperson said relatives and friends considered Trees a "competent to advanced skier" who had been doing jumps throughout the day.
He was immediately transported to an ambulance where paramedics were waiting. He was rushed to Mammoth Hospital but efforts to revive him failed.
On Saturday, 61-year-old Luther Sartor, a dentist from Los Angeles, died in a skiing accident shortly before 11 a.m., according to Lynch and the Mono County Sheriff’s office.
Investigators said they believe Sartor was traveling at a high rate of speed on West Bowl when he lost control and ran into a group of rocks between West Bowl and Saddle Bowl. Ski Patrol immediately transported Sartor to Main Lodge, where paramedics rushed him to the Mammoth Hospital Emergency Room.
The third death occurred on Sunday, when James Albert Ferguson, 63, of Garden Grove, suffered a heart attack in the White Bark Ridge area. Paramedics were unable to revive him. Lynch said that Ferguson "had a pre-existing health condition that lead to cardiac arrest.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Jan. 27, at approximately 4:10 p.m. a 38-year-old skier collided with a tree on Quicksilver, near the intersection to the trail Gold Hill, Lynch said.
Preliminary reports from witnesses indicate the skier lost control and slid into a group of trees. Ski Patrol was notified and arrived on scene within minutes. They immediately transported him to Eagle Lodge where paramedics were waiting and he was rushed to the Mammoth Hospital Emergency Room. The patient was later flown to Washoe Medical Center in Reno where he remains in critical condition.
The ski area did not identify the skier.
by George Shirk
Three people, including a 16-year-old skier, lost their lives in separate incidents on Mammoth Mountain last weekend, while another remains hospitalized in critical condition after colliding with a tree.
The first victim, Benjamin David Trees, 16, of San Diego, was fatally injured in the South Park terrain park, near Roller Coaster Express, according to Joani Lynch, Mammoth Mountain Communiciations Director.
In a written statement, Lynch said that "witnesses indicate the skier was carrying excessive speed" approaching a jump, which caused him to miss the landing area.
A Mono County Sheriff spokesperson said relatives and friends considered Trees a "competent to advanced skier" who had been doing jumps throughout the day.
He was immediately transported to an ambulance where paramedics were waiting. He was rushed to Mammoth Hospital but efforts to revive him failed.
On Saturday, 61-year-old Luther Sartor, a dentist from Los Angeles, died in a skiing accident shortly before 11 a.m., according to Lynch and the Mono County Sheriff’s office.
Investigators said they believe Sartor was traveling at a high rate of speed on West Bowl when he lost control and ran into a group of rocks between West Bowl and Saddle Bowl. Ski Patrol immediately transported Sartor to Main Lodge, where paramedics rushed him to the Mammoth Hospital Emergency Room.
The third death occurred on Sunday, when James Albert Ferguson, 63, of Garden Grove, suffered a heart attack in the White Bark Ridge area. Paramedics were unable to revive him. Lynch said that Ferguson "had a pre-existing health condition that lead to cardiac arrest.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Jan. 27, at approximately 4:10 p.m. a 38-year-old skier collided with a tree on Quicksilver, near the intersection to the trail Gold Hill, Lynch said.
Preliminary reports from witnesses indicate the skier lost control and slid into a group of trees. Ski Patrol was notified and arrived on scene within minutes. They immediately transported him to Eagle Lodge where paramedics were waiting and he was rushed to the Mammoth Hospital Emergency Room. The patient was later flown to Washoe Medical Center in Reno where he remains in critical condition.
The ski area did not identify the skier.