Skiing accident at Mt. Waterman claims life of man, 61
William Robert Eslick Jr., a 61-year-old resident of Winnetka, died Saturday from blunt chest trauma after a skiing accident at Mt. Waterman in the Angeles National Forest, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Eslick was pronounced dead at 1:17 p.m., reported investigator Anthony Lopez with the Coroner’s Office, although Brien Metcalf, co-owner of Mt. Waterman Ski Lifts, said Monday facility owners were notified earlier in the morning of the incident.
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A member of a volunteer ski patrol unit who regularly patrolled the mountainside, Eslick was skiing alone sometime Saturday morning when the accident occurred. A female visitor nearby witnessed the incident and called for help, said Metcalf.
“It was around 10:30 a.m. (when) we got a call from a girl who was up there who was actually a paramedic,” Metcalf added, indicating the witness was not working at the time.
A search and rescue helicopter landed on Angeles Crest Highway, according to Metcalf. It was uncertain whether the trauma was caused by a collision with a particular object, or if Eslick simply fell. Metcalf, who purchased the ski facilities with siblings and partners in 2006, said the victim was an experienced skier with years of experience skiing on that particular mountain.
“He was a knowledgeable guy,” he said Monday. “He’s been up in Mt. Waterman since before we owned it, and he was very familiar with the hill.”
The mountain stayed open to visitors throughout Saturday but was closed the following day. Metcalf said the decision was due partly to bad weather conditions and melting snow, and to allow time for Eslick’s fellow patrol members to grieve.
“It’s a real tight-knit group of people,” he said of the group.
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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com
Twitter: @SaraCardine
