Ski patroller dies after being caught in an avalanche at Mammoth Mountain
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One of two members of a Mammoth Mountain ski patrol who were caught in an avalanche after a major snowstorm has died, the resort announced.
On Sunday afternoon, Mammoth Mountain identified the ski patrol member as Cole Murphy, 30, describing him as “an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.”
At about 7:30 a.m. Friday, before the resort opened, the pair were performing “avalanche mitigation work” when a sudden slide occurred on Lincoln Mountain, according to Joani Lynch, vice president for marketing and sales.
The two were rescued and immediately taken to Mammoth Hospital, Lynch said.
The ski patrol had been at work since first light, inspecting Mammoth Mountain’s reopened runs after a week of heavy snow and blustery winds.
“One patroller sustained serious injuries and is being transported out of the area for further care,” she said at the time. “The second patroller is being evaluated with possible broken bones.”
In the social media post two days after the avalanche, the resort announced Murphy’s death was due to injuries sustained in the accident.
“The mountain is where Cole felt most alive,” his family said in a statement included in the post. They added, “Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him — it was a calling.”
The family said his partner, Hayley, was “[a]t the center of Cole’s heart,” and said he “moved through the world with kindness, intention and a wholehearted devotion to the life he chose.”
Hundreds expressed their condolences in the comments.
“Our hearts are broken💔 sending all of our love to Cole’s loved ones, Mammoth patrol, and the entire Mammoth community 🦣❤️,” wrote Palisades Tahoe, a ski resort in Lake Tahoe.
Murphy’s death marks the second on Lincoln Mountain in less than a year.
The mountain, known for its steep slopes, was the site of another fatal accident in February, when another pair of ski patrollers, who were trying to clear snow from runs known as “the avy chutes,” got caught in a sudden slide.
Claire Murphy was conducting “avalanche mitigation” work on Valentine’s Day when she and a colleague were caught in an avalanche. Ski resort officials announced her death Saturday.
One of the patrollers escaped without serious injury, but the other, Claire Murphy, 25, was transported to a hospital in Reno. A week later, the resort confirmed she had died.
That accident occurred after a major storm that dumped about 6 feet of snow on the resort in 36 hours.
Last week’s “Christmas miracle” storm has been a godsend for the California ski industry. Many resorts were struggling to remain open due to the paltry precipitation so far this year. Mammoth Mountain has received more than 5 feet of snow since Christmas Eve.
As of Dec. 19, the state had only 12% of the snow that’s normal for this time of year, and only 3% of what water managers hope for in an average year, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
Now, the problem for resorts across the Sierra is safely managing the several feet of snow that fell on them in recent days.
That’s particularly important since the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is traditionally the busiest week of the ski season, with thousands flocking to the slopes.
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