A tragic incident at California’s renowned Mammoth Mountain claimed the life of a ski patroller who was engulfed by an avalanche while attempting to enhance the safety of a ski path for visitors.
Cole Murphy, aged 30, suffered fatal injuries during the catastrophe on Friday morning at the Mammoth Lakes resort, which was not open to the public at the time.
The avid skier was engaged in avalanche control efforts on Lincoln Mountain after a significant storm had blanketed the area with a heavy layer of snow.
In a bid to shield future guests from potential avalanches, Murphy and another team member were caught in a deadly snow surge around 7:30 am.
Both patrollers were rushed to a local hospital, as reported by Mammoth Mountain. Murphy, critically injured, was later transferred to a different medical facility, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The other team member, whose name has not been disclosed, was treated at the initial hospital for multiple fractures. He underwent a successful surgical procedure on Saturday and is currently on the path to recovery.
Mammoth Mountain was shut down from Friday until Sunday, with officials noting that the area had been slammed with five feet of snow since December 23.
‘We have received heavy snowfall and high winds over the last several days,’ the resort shared online on Saturday.
Ski patroller Cole Murphy, 30, died after being struck by an avalanche while trying to make the mountain safer for visitors
Lincoln Mountain is roughly 10,100 feet tall and is characterized by its challenging terrain
While confirming Murphy’s death, Mammoth Mountain also posted a statement from his grieving family.
His loved ones described him as kind, caring and devoted to his family and career.
‘The mountain was where Cole felt most alive. It was his place of purpose, his community and his second home,’ the message reads.
‘Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him – it was his calling.’
His relatives said that his partner, Hayley, was the ‘center of Cole’s heart’ and that the pair often embarked on adventures together.
‘Cole also held his family close, meeting life with an easy smile, a generous spirit and a warmth that drew people in wherever he went,’ the statement reads.
Mammoth Mountain was significantly impacted by an atmospheric river storm that hit regions across the Golden State last week.
According to the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS), an atmospheric river storm is a band of water vapor that moves across the atmosphere.
‘Much like a river is water moving over land, an atmospheric river is a stream of water moving in the sky,’ NESDIS wrote.
Murphy (seen in 2021) adored his family and his career, with his loved ones describing ski patrolling as his ‘calling’
Murphy’s family wrote a heartbreaking statement announcing his death
This kind of storm can cause heavy rain and snow, as well as strong winds and flooding.
Murphy’s untimely death comes about 10 months after another Mammoth Mountain ski patroller met the same fate.
Clare Murphy, 25, passed away after being caught in an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain on February 14.
She was also performing avalanche mitigation when the tragedy struck.
Located on the border of Yosemite National Park in the eastern Sierra Nevada, Mammoth Mountain is California’s highest lift-served ski resort.
VisitMammoth, the official tourism website for Mammoth Lakes, states that Lincoln Mountain is a volcanic dome located northeast of the Mammoth Mountain summit.
The ‘precipitous avalanche chutes’ on its northern face are remnants of a 500-meter-by-350-meter landslide that left a horseshoe-shaped bowl.
Lincoln Mountain is roughly 10,100 feet tall and is characterized by its challenging terrain.
