Ski Patrol Accidents

[(909)]

I've been to Mammoth 2 times this ski season and both times someone has died while I was there. In one week during January, 3 men died in various ski accidents, 1 teenager died after a bad landing and a female ski patrol was killed doing avalanche work. Last week while we were in town for the full week, 3 ski patrollers were killed and another 7 hospitalized for toxic gas inhalation which occured when the patrollers fell through the snow into a gas filled pocket while attempting to replace a fence surrounding a volcanic fumorole.

I just wanted to remind all of the skiiers on the board that the Ski Patrol at your local mountain provides a great service to you and your family for very little pay and a lot of hard work and dedication. Working in blinding snow, 50+ MPH winds and negative wind chill temperatures clearing avalanche zones early in the morning so you and yours can ski safely during the day is a job most of us would rather not do.

Next time you ski by a Patroller with the red jacket and a white cross on the back, give them a nod, let them know that you appreciate what they are doing for you.

[skibum4ever]

Originally Posted by (909)

I've been to Mammoth 2 times this ski season and both times someone has died while I was there. In one week during January, 3 men died in various ski accidents, 1 teenager died after a bad landing and a female ski patrol was killed doing avalanche work. Last week while we were in town for the full week, 3 ski patrollers were killed and another 7 hospitalized for toxic gas inhalation which occured when the patrollers fell through the snow into a gas filled pocket while attempting to replace a fence surrounding a volcanic fumorole.

I just wanted to remind all of the skiiers on the board that the Ski Patrol at your local mountain provides a great service to you and your family for very little pay and a lot of hard work and dedication. Working in blinding snow, 50+ MPH winds and negative wind chill temperatures clearing avalanche zones early in the morning so you and yours can ski safely during the day is a job most of us would rather not do.

Next time you ski by a Patroller with the red jacket and a white cross on the back, give them a nod, let them know that you appreciate what they are doing for you.

I ski at Mammoth and we have developed a sticker to honor the Ski Patrol and in particular the patrollers who lost their lives. You can get all the details at

http://www.mammothmountain.com/forums