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Fatality at Killington

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Author	Post
BeastPatroller Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 18, 2003 Posts: 697 Location:Enfield, CT	Posted: Jan 30, 2007 - 11:55 PM GMT In today's paper there was a report of a 21 yr.old male from N.J. who died yesterday at Killington. According to the witnesses he was skiing at a high rate of speed, lost control, and skied off the trail into several trees. He was conscious and able to respond after the crash but lost consciousness and didn't recover. He was pronounced dead in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family for the lost of such a young life! Lets hope this is the last death from skiing this year! __________ Ski the Beast - Berkshire East

Jonni Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 12, 2001 Posts: 2341 Location:Sunapee, NH & Rutland, VT	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 12:38 AM GMT Edited: Jan 31, 2007 - 12:43 AM GMT I think that I saw that when I was skiing at Killington yesterday. I was riding up the Skye Peak Quad when I saw an accident with a skier down in the trees right off of Great Eastern. Ski Patrol was there, but the position that the guy was in looked pretty grim. A little later that day I saw DART land in the Snowshed parking lot, so I'm assuming that that's the same guy. EDIT: I found the article in the Rutland Herald. It is the same thing that I saw from the Skye Peak lift. Link: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070130/NEWS/701300361/1002/NEWS01 __________ Fall Line n. Imaginary line following the most direct path down a slope that skiers continuously traverse on a run, often stopping at other invisible slope features along the way like the Tumble Lane, the Stagger Path and the Topple Zone.

newpylong Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 05, 2003 Posts: 1466 Location:Billerica, MA Enfield, NH	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 4:15 AM GMT After a very poor last few years in this department the skiing community has been lucky thus far. This is a shame....

weedywart Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 23, 2007 Posts: 166 Location:	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 1:06 PM GMT Edited: Jan 31, 2007 - 1:09 PM GMT It was only a matter of time that something like this was going to happen at Killington this year. Speed Kills.

joshua segal Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 5940 Location:NH	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 1:11 PM GMT Interesting. The article says, "It is the first ski-related fatality since 2004 at Killington, ..." I was of the impression tht Killington, just by virtue of their 1 million skier visits per year would have at least a couple per season. __________ Joshua Segal

newpylong Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 05, 2003 Posts: 1466 Location:Billerica, MA Enfield, NH	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 3:18 PM GMT The last, in 2004, was the accident on Double Dipper. I still think about that going up the Canyon lift....

weedywart Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 23, 2007 Posts: 166 Location:	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 11:41 PM GMT They don't keep accurate stats on collisions at k in that many aren't reported. They do keep track of visits to their first aid stations, I imagine. However, most fatalities in snow descent sports result from collisions between people and man-made objects like grooming machinery or lift towers. I thought this type of accident rather remarkable for that reason alone. Usually there are only about a half dozen fatalities in the whole of New England in snow or ice ascent and descent sports a year. So, there are a lot of accidents at Killington, they aren't reported accurately and one fatality every three years is a rather high rate.

zephyr Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 23, 2006 Posts: 214 Location:Cambridge, MA	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 11:45 PM GMT I feel sad __________ ski whaleback. that is all.

method9455 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 26, 2007 Posts: 1 Location:	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 11:48 PM GMT I guess my high school has been really unlucky but we've had 3 fatalities in 15 years, 1 on ski club and 2 on the ski team. The ski club fatality was at Shawnee mountain about 6 years ago - student skiing alone down a closed trail hit a tree and wasn't found for a long time since they weren't looking on that trail. (Shawnee Mountain Pennsylvania). Earlier we had 2 deaths on the ski team before they canceled it, one crossing the street in front of Great Gorge and hit by a car on the way to practice, and one falling out of the lift at Great Gorge and dieing on impact. I always though it was around 1 per mountain per year or more, it surprises me that Kmart has fewer than that.

joshua segal Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jul 12, 2004 Posts: 5940 Location:NH	Posted: Jan 31, 2007 - 11:52 PM GMT Quote: The last, in 2004, was the accident on Double Dipper. I still think about that going up the Canyon lift.... To "newpylong": Were you an eye witness? __________ Joshua Segal

HClone Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 19, 2003 Posts: 360 Location:Northern NJ	Posted: Feb 01, 2007 - 12:53 AM GMT I visited Kmart in March about 15 years ago. They had had 7 fatalites so far that year.

newpylong Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 05, 2003 Posts: 1466 Location:Billerica, MA Enfield, NH	Posted: Feb 01, 2007 - 5:46 PM GMT Quote: [quote]The last, in 2004, was the accident on Double Dipper. I still think about that going up the Canyon lift.... To "newpylong": Were you an eye witness?[/quote] Thank god no... just tough not to think about when you ride up over the location all the time.

maplevalleymaster Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Aug 06, 2005 Posts: 1129 Location:Ludlow, VT	Posted: Feb 01, 2007 - 9:21 PM GMT That sad. Great eastern is not one to be going fast on. Tons of people on it.

BeastPatroller Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 18, 2003 Posts: 697 Location:Enfield, CT	Posted: Feb 01, 2007 - 10:45 PM GMT Quote: The ski club fatality was at Shawnee mountain about 6 years ago - student skiing alone down a closed trail hit a tree and wasn't found for a long time since they weren't looking on that trail. (Shawnee Mountain Pennsylvania). I know this will bring up a debate but this is an example why you don't ski on closed trails! Patroller don't sweep (ie. check) closed trails at the end of the day/night. The possiblity of being left there hurt is very real. As for keeping record of collisions, all patrols keep records of every accident they handle. Also, collisions aren't limited to other people,snowmaking equipment, & lift towers they include trees and other natural objects. In fact, most of your deaths are from natural objects than people or equipment. __________ Ski the Beast - Berkshire East

Jonni Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 12, 2001 Posts: 2341 Location:Sunapee, NH & Rutland, VT	Posted: Feb 02, 2007 - 12:29 AM GMT Fortunately this guy ended up in a place where many people could see him, if not hear him calling for Help if he had too. I could see him clearly from the Skye Peak lift when I rode it up over Great Eastern. You couldn't really see him from Great Eastern itself very well, but going down Skyeburst I wouldn't be surprised that he would have been seen without issue. __________ Fall Line n. Imaginary line following the most direct path down a slope that skiers continuously traverse on a run, often stopping at other invisible slope features along the way like the Tumble Lane, the Stagger Path and the Topple Zone.

newpylong Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 05, 2003 Posts: 1466 Location:Billerica, MA Enfield, NH	Posted: Feb 02, 2007 - 4:06 PM GMT I think rather than argue about whether so and so should wear a helmet, whether he was going too fast, etc. and so on its just a remainder to ski/board as safe as possible....

skierpilot Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Apr 01, 2006 Posts: 632 Location:	Posted: Feb 03, 2007 - 12:38 AM GMT I also feel that this acident is very tragic. I am amazed that this does not happen more often ! Good point about ducking ropes as well. this also makes me think about the use of I Pods, ect. don't use them! You are putting yourself other innocent people in danger!

dmc Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 17, 2005 Posts: 376 Location:Hunter, NY	Posted: Feb 03, 2007 - 1:48 AM GMT Quote: this also makes me think about the use of I Pods, ect. don't use them! You are putting yourself other innocent people in danger! Totally untrue... I use one all the time.. I also ski with someone who's deaf.... Maybe she shouldn't ski... __________ DMCs Interactive Tuckerman Ravine Map

kevinthomas Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 18, 2006 Posts: 530 Location:Tioga County PA	Posted: Feb 04, 2007 - 8:35 PM GMT Any death is tragic, however I'd bet more people die driving to a ski area than at a ski area. Those numbers are never included in stats... just a thought. Kevin

rocket21 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Sep 13, 2001 Posts: 8400 Location:USA	Posted: Feb 04, 2007 - 11:31 PM GMT Quote: [quote]this also makes me think about the use of I Pods, ect. don't use them! You are putting yourself other innocent people in danger! Totally untrue... I use one all the time.. I also ski with someone who's deaf.... Maybe she shouldn't ski... [/quote] It is dangerous - same reason cops will pull you over if you're driving with headphones on. With a person who is deaf or has a hearing problem, you will notice that they use their other senses to their advantage - in terms of skiing you'll observe more visual use, etc. A snowboarder zipping down the slopes blasting Phil Collins on their iPod is in a different world and more likely to cause serious damage to themselves or someone else. Of course, if everyone else is observing the code, what's in front of you is in theory the only issue, but nonetheless hearing someone yell "look out!" will help you get out of their way, etc. __________ NewEnglandSkiHistory.com

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