Lawsuit continues against Avalanche airbag manufacturer for failure to deploy
Posted: December 24, 2021 Filed under: Avalanche, Colorado | Tags: airbag, avalanche, Backcountry Access, K2, Lawsuit, San Juan Search & Rescue, SAR, Search and Rescue, Silverton Avalanche School Leave a commentState: Colorado
The good news is the lawsuit against the San Juan Search and Rescue, the Silverton Avalanche School and the school’s guide; Zachary Lovell have been dismissed.
Never Sue Search & Rescue!
They are just volunteers trying to save your dumb A$$
In that initial lawsuit, the airbag manufacturer Backcountry Access, a subsidiary of K2 was also sued.
The lawsuit argued the school, guide and pack-maker “created substantial and unreasonable risks of serious injury and death to participants” in the safety class.
The lawsuit is attempting to tie the failure of the airbag to deploy to a recall of the product.
The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission reported the recall of 8,200 Float 18 packs on Nov. 26, 2013, with a warning that the trigger assembly can fail “resulting in the air bag not deploying, posing a risk of death and injury in the event of an avalanche.”
Why Is This Interesting?
This will be watched, for several reasons.
- Product liability lawsuits are nasty & don’t change anything.
- Avalanches kill. If you are in the backcountry in the wintertime, there is not much you can do about that, except get lucky.
- Backcountry skiing is growing and when a sport grows so do the lawsuits.
@RecreationLaw #RecLaw #RecreationLaw #OutdoorRecreationLaw #OutdoorLaw #OutdoorIndustry @JjasonBlevins @ColoradoSun #Fatality #Lawsuit #InherentRisk #SkiAreaLaw #Avalanche @FriendsofCAIC @COAvalancheInfo
Who am I
Jim Moss
I’m an attorney specializing in the legal issues of the Outdoor Recreation Industry
I represent Manufactures, Outfitters, Guides, Reps, College & University’s, Camps, Youth Programs, Adventure Programs and Businesses
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
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In the future, if you are contacted by a member of law enforcement or the Colorado Avalanche Information Center about your backcountry activities, invoke your 5th amendment constitutional right to remain silent and say nothing.
Posted: October 14, 2020 Filed under: Avalanche, Colorado, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: avalanche, Eisenhower Tunnel, Go Fund Me, I-70, Reckless Endangerment, Summit County 1 CommentDistrict Attorney is chasing to men who possibly set off an avalanche. District Attorney’s actions will probably kill more people.
What you say may be sued against you in court, as the case with Tyler DeWitt of Silverthorne and Evan Hannibal of Vail. Read the articles listed below to get various facts about what happened. But basically, they were backcountry skiing and set off an avalanche. The debris filled cover a road and took out a remote avalanche triggering device.
“Very large avalanche” buries road near Eisenhower Tunnel
2 men cited for reckless endangerment after triggering avalanche near Eisenhower Tunnel
Because of this, the Summit County District Attorney Charged the two men with Reckless Endangerment. Under Colorado law Reckless Endangerment is:
Colorado Statutes
Title 18. CRIMINAL CODE
Article 3. Offenses Against the Person
Part 2. ASSAULTS
Current through Chapter 326 of the 2020 Legislative Session
§ 18-3-208. Reckless endangerment
A person who recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to another person commits reckless endangerment, which is a class 3 misdemeanor.
Cite as C.R.S. § 18-3-208
A class three misdemeanor will not ruin your life, but it will make it miserable. Worse, the DA is asking for restitution for the damage done to clear the road and the avalanche triggering device in the amount of $168,000. How many working skiers and boarders in the backcountry have that amount of money sitting around? That too will assist in their running their lives.
The charges and the restitution will not kill anyone. However, Avalanche reporting and research will come to an end. Who knows what DA will decide they don’t like backcountry skiers and just start thumbing through Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) reports looking for ways to eliminate backcountry skiing and boarding?
This is NOT the fault of the CAIC. As a state agency, they have no way to protect the reports that they receive and must turn them over to any other state agency, including district attorneys.
This is also sad; the backcountry ski community has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for CAIC over the years and had a great relationship with the CAIC. The CAIC is a great organization with awesome people, some who are the best in the world at what they do.
But I’m not going to jail to help!
I keep trying to figure out the motivation for the District Attorney’s actions. The chance of getting any money out of these two men is zero. Does he want to keep people from going out in the backcountry? Probably. No doubt there is going to be a lot of Search & Rescue this winter based on sales of backcountry equipment. However, idiots in the backcountry is not a new thing.
Instead of wasting the time, money, and resources to prosecute these two men, which will not stop idiots in the backcountry, why not try to educate them.
Besides, any expert who is going to get on the stand and say that these two triggered the avalanche is possibly wrong. Even with the men saying on tape, they started the slide; they could still be wrong.
If you would like to contribute money to support Evan Hannibal’s attempt to raise money for an attorney, go here: Facing Criminal Charges in the Backcountry.
Do Something
Contribute to Evan Hannibal’s Go Fund Me: Facing Criminal Charges in the Backcountry.
Contact the Fifth judicial District (Summit County) and let the DA know they are not solving problems but creating more: https://www.da5.us/reach-our-offices/summit-county/
Contact Friends of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and tell them to get a bill in the state legislature that would provide immunity for reporting to backcountry skiers: https://www.avalanche.state.co.us/contact/
Contact the Summit Daily News and express your opinion about how stupid and dangerous this is on the part of the District Attorney: https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/
Contact the Denver Post and do the same: https://www.denverpost.com/submit-letter/
Show up at the criminal hearings and support these two men. Be respectful of the court, the judge and court personnel have nothing to do with this mess. It was handed to them by the District Attorney. Be considerate, respectful, quiet, turn off your phones and sit quietly, but be there.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
Copyright 2020 Recreation Law (720) 334 8529
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Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
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By Recreation Law Rec-law@recreation-law.com James H. Moss
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Tickets for CSAW go up in Price Sunday, Attend this Avalanche Workshop Sign Up and Learn
Posted: September 27, 2018 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: avalanche, CAIC, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Colorado Snow & Avalanche Workshop, CSAW Leave a comment
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It’s getting to that time of you, Donate and Sign Up to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Posted: September 13, 2018 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: avalanche, backcountry, CAIC, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Monthly Dump, Ski & Ride, ski season, Snowboard Season Leave a comment
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@CAICfrontrange @COAvalancheInfo @ColoradoSkiUSA @CAICaspen @friendsofCAIC @CAICsthsanjuan @CAICsthsanjuan @CAICsangrecrist @CAICgunnison @CAICgrandmesa @CAICnthsanjuan @CAICsawatch @CAICsummit
#SkiLaw #SkiAreaLaw #RecLaw #RecreationLaw #OutdoorLaw #ORLawTextbook
Applications being accepted through April 5, 2018 for A3 Executive Director position. Position announcement below employment listing
Posted: March 27, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: American Avalanche Association, American Avalanche Association (A3), avalanche, Executive Director Leave a comment
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A parked snowmobile is an inherent risk of skiing for which all skiers assume the risk under Colorado Ski Area Safety Act.
Posted: March 5, 2018 Filed under: Colorado, Ski Area, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: avalanche, Collision, Colorado Skier Safety Act, de novo review, deceleration, enlargement, exhaustive, feet, inherent dangers, Inherent Risks, lamp, man-made, Negligence per se, parked, recommendation, Respondeat Superior, right to appeal, Ski, Ski Areas, Ski Resort, ski run, Ski Safety Act, Skier, skiing, Slope, Snow, Snowmobile, Sport, statutory definition, Steamboat, Steamboat Ski Area, Terrain, Trail Leave a commentA Steamboat ski area employee parked a snowmobile at the bottom of a run. The plaintiff came down the run and hit the snowmobile injuring herself. She claimed the snowmobile was not visible from 100′ and was in violation of the Colorado Skier Safety Act. The Federal District Court for Colorado Disagreed.
Schlumbrecht-Muniz v. Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 30484
State: Colorado, United States District Court for the District of Colorado
Plaintiff: Linda Schlumbrecht-Muniz, M.D.
Defendant: Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, a Delaware Corporation d/b/a STEAMBOAT
Plaintiff Claims: negligence, negligence per se, and respondeat superior
Defendant Defenses: Colorado Skier Safety Act
Holding: for the Defendant
Year: 2015
The plaintiff was skiing down a run at Steamboat Ski Area. (Steamboat is owned by Intrawest Resorts, Inc.) On that day, an employee of Steamboat parked a snowmobile at the bottom of that run. The snowmobile was not visible for 100′. The plaintiff collided with the vehicle incurring injury.
The plaintiff sued claiming simple negligence, negligence per se and respondeat superior. The Negligence per se claim was based on an alleged failure of the ski area to follow the Colorado Skier Safety Act.
The ski area filed a motion for summary judgment arguing the claims of the plaintiff failed to plead the information needed to allege a violation of the Colorado Skier Safety Act.
Analysis: making sense of the law based on these facts.
The court first looked at the requirements necessary to properly plead a claim.
“…the mere metaphysical possibility that some plaintiff could prove some set of facts in support of the pleaded claims is insufficient; the complaint must give the court reason to believe that this plaintiff has a reasonable likelihood of mustering factual support for these claims.” The ultimate duty of the court is to “determine whether the complaint sufficiently alleges facts supporting all the elements necessary to establish an entitlement to relief under the legal theory proposed.”
This analysis requires the plaintiff to plead facts sufficient to prove her claims to some certainty that the court can see without a major stretch of the imagination.
The ordinary negligence claims were the first to be reviewed and dismissed. The Colorado Skier Safety Act states that the defendant ski area is “immune from any claim for damages resulting from “…the inherent dangers and risks of skiing…”
Notwithstanding any judicial decision or any other law or statute, to the contrary, … no skier may make any claim against or recover from any ski area operator for injury resulting from any of the inherent dangers and risks of skiing.
Although the law allows suits against ski areas for violation of the act, those claims must be plead specifically and fit into the requirements set forth in the act. As such the court found the defendant Steamboat could be liable if:
Accordingly, Steamboat may be liable under one of two theories: a skier may recover if her injury resulted from an occurrence not considered an inherent danger or risk of skiing; or a skier may recover if the ski operator violated a provision of the Act and that violation resulted in injury.
The first claim of an injury that was not an inherent risk of skiing would hold the defendant ski area liable for a negligence claim. The second requires specific violation of the Colorado Skier Safety Act.
Steamboat argued that pursuant to the Colorado Skier Safety Act, the term inherent risks as defined in the act were to be read broadly and a parked snowmobile was an inherent risk of skiing.
The Ski Safety Act defines “inherent dangers and risks of skiing” to mean:
…those dangers or conditions that are part of the sport of skiing, including changing weather conditions; snow conditions as they exist or may change, such as ice, hard pack, powder, packed powder, wind pack, corn, crust, slush, cut-up snow, and machine-made snow; surface or subsurface conditions such as bare spots, forest growth, rocks, stumps, streambeds, cliffs, extreme terrain, and trees, or other natural objects, and collisions with such natural objects; impact with lift towers, signs, posts, fences or enclosures, hydrants, water pipes, or other man-made structures and their components; variations in steepness or terrain, whether natural or as a result of slope design, snowmaking or grooming operations, including but not limited to roads, freestyle terrain, jumps, and catwalks or other terrain modifications; collisions with other skiers; and the failure of skiers to ski within their own abilities.
The court then looked at decisions interpreting the inherent risk section to determine if the act was to be construed narrowly or broadly.
In all cases, Colorado courts looked at the act as a list of the possible risks of skiing but not all the possible risks. As such, a snowmobile parked at the bottom of the slope was an inherent risk of skiing.
I am also persuaded that the presence of a parked snow mobile at the end of a ski run is an inherent risk of the sport of skiing. While Steamboat cites Fleury for that court’s description of the “common understanding of a ‘danger,'” and analogizes the presence of a snowmobile to cornices, avalanches, and rubber deceleration mats for tubing, I find that a parked snowmobile is not analogous to those examples because a snowmobile is not part of the on-course terrain of the sport.
The court also found that even if the snowmobile parked on a run was not an inherent risk, the statute required skiers to stay away from vehicles and equipment on the slopes. “Each skier shall stay clear of snow-grooming equipment, all vehicles, lift towers, signs, and any other equipment on the ski slopes and trails.”
The plaintiff’s argument was the violation of the statute was failing to properly for failing to properly outfit the snowmobile.
Plaintiff clarifies in her Response that the negligence per se claim is for violation of section 33-44-108(3), which requires snowmobiles operated “on the ski slopes or trails of a ski area” to be equipped with “[o]ne lighted headlamp, one lighted red tail lamp, a brake system maintained in operable condition, and a fluorescent flag at least forty square inches mounted at least six feet above the bottom of the tracks.”
Plaintiff also argued the statute was violated because the snowmobile was not visible for 100′ as required by the statute. However, this put the plaintiff in a catch 22. If the plaintiff was not a vehicle, then it was a man-made object which was an inherent risk of skiing. If she pleads the snowmobile was a vehicle and not properly equipped, then she failed to stay away from it.
Neither approach leads Plaintiff to her desired result. Steamboat correctly asserts that if the snow-mobile is characterized as a man-made object, Plaintiff’s impact with it was an inherent danger and risk pursuant to section, and Steamboat is immune to liability for the resulting injuries. If Plaintiff intends for her Claim to proceed under the theory that Steamboat violated section 33-44-108(3) by failing to equip the snowmobile with the proper lighting, she did not plead that the parked vehicle lacked the required items, and mentions only in passing in her Response that the vehicle “did not have an illuminated head lamp or trail lamp because it was not operating.”
The final claim was based on respondeat superior.
Plaintiff has alleged that the Steamboat employee was acting within the scope of her employment when she parked the snowmobile at the base of Bashor Bowl. See id. (“Under the theory of respondeat superior, the question of whether an employee is acting within the scope of the employment is a question of fact”)
Because the respondeat claim was derivative of the prior claims, and they were dismissed, the respondeat superior claim must fail. Derivative means that the second claim is wholly based on the first claim. If the first claim fails, the second claim fails.
So Now What?
This is another decision in a long line of decisions expanding the risks a skier assumes on Colorado slopes. The inherent risks set forth in Colorado Skier Safety Act are examples of the possible risks a skier can assume, not the specific set of risks.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
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Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
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Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
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Colorado Snowpack is Extremely Dangerous and getting Worse
Posted: February 20, 2018 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: avalanche, Avalanche Forecast, Avalanche Forecasting, CAIC, Colorado, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Forecast Leave a comment
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Backcountry skier sues in Small Claims Court in San Miguel County Colorado for injuries she received when a backcountry snowboarder triggered an Avalanche that injured her.
Posted: January 8, 2018 Filed under: Assumption of the Risk, Avalanche, Colorado, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: Agreed Upon Duty, avalanche, backcountry, Backcountry skiing, duty 17 CommentsThe defendant snowboarder had agreed not to descend the slope until the lower parties had called and told them they had cleared the area. The defendant failed to wait and admitted he had triggered the Avalanche.
BEFORE COMMENTING READ EVERYTHING. I WAS NOT THE ATTORNEY FOR EITHER PARTY IN THIS CASE. The defendant in his comments about this article made that statement that I was the plaintiff’s attorney. He was the one in court, not me. How he made that mistake I don’t know. But Sober Up!
State: Colorado, San Miguel Small Claims Court
Plaintiff: Jayleen Troutwin
Defendant: Christopher Parke
Plaintiff Claims: Negligence
Defendant Defenses:
Holding: for the plaintiff
Year: 2017
Facts
Under Colorado law, you can create a duty when you agree to act or not act. Here the defendant created a duty when he agreed not to descend the slope until he had received a phone call from the first party that they had cleared the danger area.
This is a first of its kind suit that I have found, and the judge’s decision in this case is striking in its clarity and reasoning. At the same time, it might open up backcountry injuries to more litigation. The facts that created this lawsuit are specific in how the duty was created, and that will be rare in 90% of the backcountry accidents.
I have attached the written decision of the court to this analysis, and I encourage you to read it.
Facts: taken from the complaint, the CAIC Report and The Order of Judgment
The plaintiff was skiing out of bounds in Bear Creek outside of the Telluride Ski Area. While skiing they ran into the defendant and his friend. The defendant and friend were not ready to go, so the plaintiff and friend took off. The plaintiff and friend stated they would call the defendant when they were out of the danger zone at the bottom of the chute they both intended to ski.
The defendant and his friend did not wait, and triggered an avalanche. Plaintiff was still repelling when the avalanche hit her sweeping her off the rappel, and she fell 1200 feet down the slope riding the avalanche. She survived on top of the snow with several injuries.
The defendant admitted that it was his fault, and he would pay for the plaintiff’s medical bills. He made one payment and no others. The Plaintiff’s medical bills were in excess of $50,000. However, she still skied out after the incident.
The plaintiff sued the defendant in Small Claims Court. Small Claims court is for parties without attorneys, and the judge can grant a maximum of $7500.00 in damages.
Analysis: making sense of the law based on these facts.
Normally, participants in sporting or outdoor recreation events assume the risks inherent in the sport. Avalanches are an inherent risk of skiing. The Colorado Supreme Court has stated that in Colorado Supreme Court rules that an inbounds Avalanche is an inherent risk assumed by skiers based upon the Colorado Skier Safety Act.
Under most circumstances, the plaintiff in this situation would have assumed the risk of her injuries. What sets this decision apart was the agreement at the top of the mountain between the two groups of people. One group agreed not to descend into the chute until the other group had cleared the chute.
This creates an assumed duty on the part of the defendant. By agreeing to the acts, the plaintiff assumed a duty to the defendant.
The assumed duty doctrine “must be predicated on two factual findings.” “A plaintiff must first show that the defendant, either through its affirmative acts or through a promise to act, undertook to render a service that was reasonably calculated to prevent the type of harm that befell the plaintiff.” “Second, a plaintiff must also show either that he relied on the defendant to perform the service or that defendant’s undertaking increased plaintiff’s risk.”
This assumed duty was done specifically to prevent injuries to the other skiers. The skiers also relied on this agreement when they skied down the slope.
This Court, therefore, finds that the Defendant assumed a duty of care in agreeing not to ski his chosen route while Troutwin and Hope were still skiing theirs in an effort to avoid a skier-triggered avalanche.
Thus, when the defendant started down the chute, he violated the agreed to duty of care to the skiers below them.
The next issue to prove negligence in this case is causation or proximate causation. The breach of the duty by the defendant must be related to the injury the plaintiff received. The court simply found but for the actions of the defendant, the injuries of the plaintiff would not have occurred.
The defendant admitted triggering the avalanche, and the avalanche is what swept the plaintiff off the rappel.
The defendant raised two defenses at trial. Comparative Negligence and Assumption of Risk.
Comparative negligence asks, “did the actions of the plaintiff create or expose the plaintiff to an unreasonable risk of harm?” Comparative negligence is applied to reduce the damages the plaintiff might receive if both parties are at fault in causing the injuries to the plaintiff.
The defendant argued the plaintiff assumed the risk of her injuries and was a partial cause of her injuries when she did not use a backup device on her rappel.
The court looked at the failure to use a backup system on rappel as the same as failing to wear a seatbelt in a car or failing to wear a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Both have been determined by the Colorado Supreme Court to not be a component contributing to comparative negligence.
The reasoning behind this is simple. The plaintiff should not be required to determine in advance the negligence of any third party. Meaning it is not the injured parties’ duty, in advance to determine and then deal with any possible negligence of any other person. If that was the case, you could never leave the house because you never guessed what injury you might have received.
…[f]irst, a defendant should not diminish the consequences of his negligence by the failure of the injured party to anticipate defendant’s negligence in causing the accident itself. Second, a defense premised on an injured party’s failure to wear a protective helmet would result in a windfall to tortfeasors who pay only partially for the harm their negligence caused. Third, allowing the defense would lead to a veritable battle of experts as to what injuries would have or have not been avoided had the plaintiff been wearing a helmet.
The court found that neither comparative negligence, nor assumption of the risk applied to these facts and were not a defense to the plaintiff’s claims.
The court also added a section to its opinion about the future of backcountry skiing and the Policy issues this decision might create. It is well-written and worth quoting here.
51. This Court has determined that Parke’s duty of care is a result of his express assumption of that duty, rather than broader policy concerns that are typically addressed in protracted discussions of legal duty. It is nevertheless, worth noting that given the increasing popularity of backcountry skiing and skiing into Bear Creek, in particular, the risk of skiers triggering avalanches above one-another is likely increasing. In situations where skiers have no knowledge of whether a group is below, the legal outcome of an accident may be different than the result reached here. A liability rule that thus encourages skiers to avoid investigating whether their descent might pose a risk to those below feels averse to sound public policy. Communication and coordination between groups of backcountry skiers is surely good practice.
52. But meaningful communication is not necessarily impossible in these circumstances. This Court is swayed by the availability of radios like that which Troutwin and Hope carried. These radios are a communication option that appears more reliable than cellular telephones. Perhaps if they become more prevalent, more communication between parties will take place. And it follows and is foreseeable that other communications platforms or safety standards will develop to address this specific risk. The liability rule discussed here does not necessarily foreclose those developments.
53. The ethics and liability rules associated with backcountry skiing are likely to continue to evolve as its popularity increases and safety standards emerge. The law is likely to continue to evolve in kind.
It is refreshing to see a judge look at the broader aspect of his or her decision as it applies to an evolving sport.
The court found that the plaintiff suffered $9,660.00 in damages. The jurisdictional limit a Colorado Small Claims court can issue is a maximum of $7,500.00, which is the amount the plaintiff was awarded.
So Now What?
If you say you are going to do something, do it. If you say you are going to wait, wait. It is that simple.
More importantly, litigation has now entered the realm of backcountry skiing. Will it create more litigation, probably? Backcountry skiers who have no health insurance or no income while they recover will be looking for a way to get hospital bill collectors off their phone and pizza coming to the front door. Worse, health insurance companies will look at a way through their subrogation clauses to try to recover the money they pay out on behalf of their insureds.
At the same time, based upon these facts, the defendant was the sole cause of the plaintiff’s injuries not because he triggered an avalanche, but because he agreed not to trigger an avalanche.
Documents Attached:
Notice, Claim and Summons to Appear for a Trial.
Trial Exhibits 1 through 9
What do you think? Leave a comment.
Copyright 2017 Recreation Law (720) 334 8529
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
By Recreation Law Rec-law@recreation-law.com James H. Moss
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, #RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #SkiLaw,
10th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash – Get your tickets now!
Posted: November 26, 2017 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: 10th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash, avalanche, Breckenridge, CAIC, Friends of CAIC, Riverwalk Center Leave a commentTickets are selling quickly. Do you have yours?
Join the Friends of CAIC on Saturday, December 2, at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge and support the CAIC in their continued efforts in avalanche forecasting and education throughout Colorado. Get your tickets now before they sell out.
Saturday, December 2
10th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash
Breckenridge Riverwalk Center
5:00pm – 10:00pm
Tickets and more information: https://adecadedeep.eventbrite.com
Here are few things you have to look forward to:
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Every guest will receive a Friends of CAIC stainless steel cup, Friends of CAIC ski strap, and Friends of CAIC buff!
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Live music from Green Buddha
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Fantastic beer from Breckenridge Brewery, Broken Compass Brewing, Pug Ryan’s Brewery,Dillon Dam Brewery, and The Bakers’ Brewery.
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Amazing catered dinner from the local restaurant community.
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Over $100,000 in our silent auction and door prizes that must go home with our guests!
We look forward to seeing you on December 2!
2 People have already died in Avalanches this Year. Sign up and Support the Colorado Avalanche Information Center
Posted: November 24, 2017 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: avalanche, Avalanche Forecast, Backcountry Avalanche Forecast, CAIC, Colorado Avalanche Information Center Leave a comment
Weather Forecast for 11,000ftIssued Wednesday, November 22, 2017 at 6:33 AM by Brian Lazar
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If you work in the Ski Industry you need to be a Member of the American Avalanche Association. Upcoming Avalanche Training for the 2017-18 Season Announced.
Posted: November 14, 2017 Filed under: Avalanche, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: American Avalanche Association, avalanche Leave a comment
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2016-2017 In bound ski/board fatalities
Posted: April 8, 2017 Filed under: Ski Area, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: 49 Degrees North, Alpental, avalanche, Breckenridge, Cannon Mountain, Collision, fatality, Hunter Mountain, In Bounds, Keystone, Killington, Loveland Ski Area, Mt. Rose, Natural Causes, Northstar, ski area, ski instructor, skiing, Snowbasin Resort, snowboarding, Snowshoe Mountain, Tree Well, Wolf Creek Ski Area Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of March 30, 2017. Thanks.
Skiing and Snowboarding are still safer than being in your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from skiing but to help you understand the risks.
Red type is natural or medical conditions that occurred inbounds on the slopes
Green Type is Fatalities while sledding at the Resort
Blue Type is a Lift Accidents
Purple Type is Employee or Ski Patroller
# | Date | State | Resort | Where | Trail Difficulty | How | Cause of death | Ski/ Board | Age | Sex | Home town | Helmet | Reference | Ref # 2 |
1 | 11/26 | CO | Keystone | Elk Run | Intermediate | Hit lift tower at high speed | Skier | 18 | M | LA | Y | http://rec-law.us/2h2ul1Z | http://rec-law.us/2gXbKA8 | |
2 | 12/10 | VT | Killington Ski Area | Intermediate | Found dead | Skier | 65 | M | Lagrangeville, NY | http://rec-law.us/2hml9oW | http://rec-law.us/2gHi01C | |||
3 | 12/11 | CA | Northstar | Village Run | Expert (off duty ski instructor) | hit several rocks and crashed into a creek avoiding other skier | Skier | 35 | M | Incline Village, NV & Kings Beach | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hwJAAy | http://rec-law.us/2gwnmJQ | |
4 | 12/11 | NV | Alpental Ski area | Tree Well | death was asphyxia due to immersion in snow | Skier | 45 | M | http://rec-law.us/2hqZSb9 | http://rec-law.us/2hqZSb9 | ||||
5 | 12/11 | NV | Mt. Rose | The Chutes | Avalanche in closed run | Skier | 60 | M | http://rec-law.us/2gHp1iZ | http://rec-law.us/2hAAxOP | ||||
6 | 12/12 | VT | Killington Ski Area | Skier | 80 | M | Wappingers Falls, NY | http://rec-law.us/2hqD3UN | ||||||
7 | 12/19 | CO | Breckenridge | Alpine Alley | Hit a tree | accidental blunt force trauma | 48 | M | Longmont CO | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hckGX4 | http://rec-law.us/2ialr2Y | ||
8 | 12/29 | CO | Ski Granby Ranch | Quick Draw Express lift | Fell out of chair lift | traumatic rupture of the aorta and blunt force trauma to the torso | Skier | 40 | F | San Antonio, TX | http://rec-law.us/2ixiwhN | http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/29/mom-dies-daughters-hurt-chairlift/95988502/ | ||
9 | 12/31 | UT | Snowbasin | Hit tree | Skier | 24 | M | Ogden, UT | Y | http://rec-law.us/2iV7Qg8 | http://rec-law.us/2hQsaKC | |||
10 | 1/1/17 | MI | Crystal Mountain | Penny Lane | Intermediate | lost control and veered into a tree | crash cracked Delaney’s helmet and caused a serious brain injury | Skier | 10 | F | La Grange, IL | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hSv1pC | http://rec-law.us/2hSz19J |
11 | 1/1 | OR | Mt. Baker | Found slumped over snowmobile | 67 | M | http://rec-law.us/2iIa5mA | |||||||
12 | 1/7 | VT | Killington | Skyeship Gondola | Found on Floor | Fall | M | http://rec-law.us/2iWImP5 | ||||||
13 | 1/13 | CO | Breckenridge | Expert | Found by ski patrol | Skull Fracture | 47 | M | Longmot, CO | N | http://rec-law.us/2jZgniK | http://rec-law.us/2jkovaw | ||
14 | 1/16 | VT | Sugar Bush | Mount Ellen | Hit Tree | Hampden | Skier | 39 | M | Hampden, MA | N | http://rec-law.us/2jqt6un | http://rec-law.us/2jqt6un | |
15 | PA | Shawnee Mountain Ski Area | lost control and struck an orange safety fence | 15 | F | Singapore | http://rec-law.us/2jSL1X9 | http://rec-law.us/2j38nt0 | ||||||
16 | 1/14 | UT | Brighton Ski Resort | hit a tree | Boarder | 35 | M | Millcreek, UT | http://rec-law.us/2jsJevi | http://rec-law.us/2jGiFA6 | ||||
17 | 1/14 | NY | Belleayre Mountain Ski Center | Wanatuska Trail | Expert | Boarding | 25 | M | Centersport, NY | http://rec-law.us/2jDcHlZ | http://rec-law.us/2jGKr1J | |||
18 | 1/24 | CA | Squaw Valley | Gold Coast Ridge | denotation of an explosive charge | 42 | M | Olympic Valley, CA | http://rec-law.us/2jXfW7Y | http://rec-law.us/2kqBruQ | ||||
19 | 1/26 | WA | Stevens Pass Mountain Resort | Mill Valley side | Expert | found the man unresponsive and not breathing | 55 | M | Woodinville, WA | http://rec-law.us/2kBlZQD | ||||
20 | 1/26 | PA | Camelback Ski Resort | Hump | Expert | he went off the trail | Boarding | 21 | M | Stroudsburg | N | http://rec-law.us/2kvWmNF | ||
21 | 1/20 died 1/27 | UT | Snowbasin Resort | Bluegrass Terrain Park | He fell hard | suffered damage to his vertebrae that extended into the base of his brain | Skier | M | Ogden, UT | http://rec-law.us/2jD3onj | ||||
22 | 2/4 | WV | Snowshoe Mountain | went off the trail | Skier | 67 | M | http://rec-law.us/2kznvzN | http://rec-law.us/2kDUz9W | |||||
3 | 2/5 | Cannon Mountain | Taft Slalom | lost control | 57 | F | Amherst | http://rec-law.us/2jZ34iW | http://rec-law.us/2kvXumu | |||||
24 | 2/6 | WA | 49 Degrees North ski area | Tree Skiiing | falling into a tree well | Boarder | M | http://rec-law.us/2lyPijQ | http://rec-law.us/2kx9IZY | |||||
25 | 2/8 | NY | Hunter Mountain | Annapurna Trail | Expert | lost control and slid about 200 feet before going off the trail and striking several trees | Skier | 58 | M | Orange County | http://rec-law.us/2lshaWj | http://rec-law.us/2kYw5dN | ||
26 | 2/10 | CO | Breckenridge Ski Area | Advanced | severe head trauma | 26 | M | Mexico City, MX | Y | http://rec-law.us/2lvm4G6 | http://rec-law.us/2lIhwJk | |||
27 | 2/11 | VT | Killington | collided with a tree | Boarder | 26 | M | Toms River, NJ | N | http://rec-law.us/2kkXYsm | http://rec-law.us/2l41Hiz | |||
28 | 2/11 | CT | Mohawk Mountain Ski Area | Collison with another skier | Skier | F | http://rec-law.us/2l5nXbM | http://rec-law.us/2l5nXbM | ||||||
29 | 2/13 | VT | Stowe | Cliff Trail | trapped in deep snow in a tree well | hypothermia | Boarder | 22 | M | Needham, M | http://rec-law.us/2lhaAW2 | http://rec-law.us/2lhaAW2 | ||
30 | 2/15 | CO | Winter Park Resort | Forget-Me-Not | trapped in deep snow in a tree well | 17 | F | http://rec-law.us/2llpNoO | http://rec-law.us/2llpNoO | |||||
31 | severe head injury | 44 | M | KS | http://rec-law.us/2l7e906 | |||||||||
32 | 2/17 | OH | Snow Trails | tried to avoid a collision with a young girl and man in his path | Hit a pole
|
59 | M | Gahanna, OH | http://rec-law.us/2l7f29b | http://rec-law.us/2lWb3xL | ||||
33 | 2/22 | NH | Cranmore Mountain Resort | Intermediate | crashed into a tree. | 13 | M | Y | http://rec-law.us/2mUPNWh | http://rec-law.us/2n6261d | ||||
34 | 2/23 | CA | Northstar | Treewell | 43 | M | New Canaan, CN | http://rec-law.us/2moN72Y | http://rec-law.us/2mwrsoJ | |||||
35 | 2/25 | CO | Purgatory Resort | Demon | Intermediate | struck a tree | 34 | F | Farmington, NM | Y | http://rec-law.us/2lJqrw5 | http://rec-law.us/2lK3mb3 | ||
36 | 2/26 | ID | Sun Valley | Can-Can | Tree well | 34 | M | Meridian | http://rec-law.us/2lc9awN | http://rec-law.us/2lcoPMP | ||||
37 | 3/3 | Me | Sugarloaf | Skidder trail | Double Black Diamond | 24 | M | Farmington | N | http://rec-law.us/2n3BYEe | http://rec-law.us/2n3BYEe | |||
38 | 3/3 | CO | Breckenridge Ski Resort | Broke her leg | 15 | F | Wichita, KS | N | http://rec-law.us/2meE4C0 | http://rec-law.us/2lDPKkK | ||||
39 | Hunter Mountain | Racer’s Edge Trail | Double Black Diamond | went off the trail and struck several trees | 20 | M | Cream Ridge, NJ | http://rec-law.us/2mx7FZo | ||||||
40 | 3/7 | CO | Eldora Mountain Resort | Mule Shoe | black diamond | crashing into a tree | Boarder | 23 | M | Aurora, CO | Y | http://rec-law.us/2mlzcg2 | http://rec-law.us/2mH5T8F | |
41 | 2/19 | CO | Buttermilk Mountain | Green | hit a tree | multiple skull fractures and other various serious injuries | 20 | M | OK | N | http://rec-law.us/2lRwy34 | http://rec-law.us/2n5lLSu | ||
42 | 3/12 | NH | Mount Sunapee | Skyway trail | intermediate | M | http://rec-law.us/2ne4xCJ | |||||||
3/7 | OR | Mt. Hood Meadows | Jacks Woods | extremely difficult | Hit a tree, found in tree well | 57 | M | Dallas TX | http://rec-law.us/2mWPL20 | http://rec-law.us/2nzdvrw | ||||
3/24 | CO | Loveland Ski Area | Lift 8 | skied directly into a tree | Ski | 35 | M | Georgetown, CO | Y | http://rec-law.us/2ocO7Ic | ||||
3/21 | CO | Wolf Creek Ski Area | Summer Days | Intermediate | lost a ski, and, as a result, began to “tomahawk” | internal injuries, including broken ribs and a collapsed lung | Ski | 56 | M | FL | Y | http://rec-law.us/2oy9qDz | http://rec-law.us/2oy9qDz |
Download a PDF of this chart here. 2016 – 2017 Ski Season Deaths 3.30.17
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the ski areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
If you cannot read the entire chart you can download it here.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2017 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Skiing, Snowboarding, Fatality, Ski Area, Tree Well, Avalanche, In Bounds, Collision, Ski Instructor, Natural Causes, Northstar, Killington, Alpental, Mt. Rose, Keystone, Breckenridge, Northstar, 49 Degrees North, Hunter Mountain, Cannon Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain, Snowbasin Resort,
2016-2017 In bound ski/board fatalities
Posted: March 22, 2017 Filed under: Ski Area, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: 49 Degrees North, Alpental, avalanche, Breckenridge, Cannon Mountain, Collision, fatality, Hunter Mountain, In Bounds, Keystone, Killington, Mt. Rose, Natural Causes, Northstar, ski area, ski instructor, skiing, Snowbasin Resort, snowboarding, Snowshoe Mountain, Tree Well Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of March 15, 2017. Thanks.
Skiing and Snowboarding are still safer than being in your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from skiing but to help you understand the risks.
Red type is natural or medical conditions that occurred inbounds on the slopes
Green Type is Fatalities while sledding at the Resort
Blue Type is a Lift Accidents
Purple Type is Employee or Ski Patroller
# | Date | State | Resort | Where | Trail Difficulty | How | Cause of death | Ski/ Board | Age | Sex | Home town | Helmet | Reference | Ref # 2 |
1 | 11/26 | CO | Keystone | Elk Run | Intermediate | Hit lift tower at high speed | Skier | 18 | M | LA | Y | http://rec-law.us/2h2ul1Z | http://rec-law.us/2gXbKA8 | |
2 | 12/10 | VT | Killington Ski Area | Intermediate | Found dead | Skier | 65 | M | Lagrangeville, NY | http://rec-law.us/2hml9oW | http://rec-law.us/2gHi01C | |||
3 | 12/11 | CA | Northstar | Village Run | Expert (off duty ski instructor) | hit several rocks and crashed into a creek avoiding other skier | Skier | 35 | M | Incline Village, NV & Kings Beach | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hwJAAy | http://rec-law.us/2gwnmJQ | |
4 | 12/11 | NV | Alpental Ski area | Tree Well | death was asphyxia due to immersion in snow | Skier | 45 | M | http://rec-law.us/2hqZSb9 | http://rec-law.us/2hqZSb9 | ||||
5 | 12/11 | NV | Mt. Rose | The Chutes | Avalanche in closed run | Skier | 60 | M | http://rec-law.us/2gHp1iZ | http://rec-law.us/2hAAxOP | ||||
6 | 12/12 | VT | Killington Ski Area | Skier | 80 | M | Wappingers Falls, NY | http://rec-law.us/2hqD3UN | ||||||
7 | 12/19 | CO | Breckenridge | Alpine Alley | Hit a tree | accidental blunt force trauma | 48 | M | Longmont CO | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hckGX4 | http://rec-law.us/2ialr2Y | ||
8 | 12/29 | CO | Ski Granby Ranch | Quick Draw Express lift | Fell out of chair lift | traumatic rupture of the aorta and blunt force trauma to the torso | Skier | 40 | F | San Antonio, TX | http://rec-law.us/2ixiwhN | http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/29/mom-dies-daughters-hurt-chairlift/95988502/ | ||
9 | 12/31 | UT | Snowbasin | Hit tree | Skier | 24 | M | Ogden, UT | Y | http://rec-law.us/2iV7Qg8 | http://rec-law.us/2hQsaKC | |||
10 | 1/1/17 | MI | Crystal Mountain | Penny Lane | Intermediate | lost control and veered into a tree | crash cracked Delaney’s helmet and caused a serious brain injury | Skier | 10 | F | La Grange, IL | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hSv1pC | http://rec-law.us/2hSz19J |
11 | 1/1 | OR | Mt. Baker | Found slumped over snowmobile | 67 | M | http://rec-law.us/2iIa5mA | |||||||
12 | 1/7 | VT | Killington | Skyeship Gondola | Found on Floor | Fall | M | http://rec-law.us/2iWImP5 | ||||||
13 | 1/13 | CO | Breckenridge | Expert | Found by ski patrol | Skull Fracture | 47 | M | Longmot, CO | N | http://rec-law.us/2jZgniK | http://rec-law.us/2jkovaw | ||
14 | 1/16 | VT | Sugar Bush | Mount Ellen | Hit Tree | Hampden | Skier | 39 | M | Hampden, MA | N | http://rec-law.us/2jqt6un | http://rec-law.us/2jqt6un | |
15 | PA | Shawnee Mountain Ski Area | lost control and struck an orange safety fence | 15 | F | Singapore | http://rec-law.us/2jSL1X9 | http://rec-law.us/2j38nt0 | ||||||
16 | 1/14 | UT | Brighton Ski Resort | hit a tree | Boarder | 35 | M | Millcreek, UT | http://rec-law.us/2jsJevi | http://rec-law.us/2jGiFA6 | ||||
17 | 1/14 | NY | Belleayre Mountain Ski Center | Wanatuska Trail | Expert | Boarding | 25 | M | Centersport, NY | http://rec-law.us/2jDcHlZ | http://rec-law.us/2jGKr1J | |||
18 | 1/24 | CA | Squaw Valley | Gold Coast Ridge | denotation of an explosive charge | 42 | M | Olympic Valley, CA | http://rec-law.us/2jXfW7Y | http://rec-law.us/2kqBruQ | ||||
19 | 1/26 | WA | Stevens Pass Mountain Resort | Mill Valley side | Expert | found the man unresponsive and not breathing | 55 | M | Woodinville, WA | http://rec-law.us/2kBlZQD | ||||
20 | 1/26 | PA | Camelback Ski Resort | Hump | Expert | he went off the trail | Boarding | 21 | M | Stroudsburg | N | http://rec-law.us/2kvWmNF | ||
21 | 1/20 died 1/27 | UT | Snowbasin Resort | Bluegrass Terrain Park | He fell hard | suffered damage to his vertebrae that extended into the base of his brain | Skier | M | Ogden, UT | http://rec-law.us/2jD3onj | ||||
22 | 2/4 | WV | Snowshoe Mountain | went off the trail | Skier | 67 | M | http://rec-law.us/2kznvzN | http://rec-law.us/2kDUz9W | |||||
3 | 2/5 | Cannon Mountain | Taft Slalom | lost control | 57 | F | Amherst | http://rec-law.us/2jZ34iW | http://rec-law.us/2kvXumu | |||||
24 | 2/6 | WA | 49 Degrees North ski area | Tree Skiiing | falling into a tree well | Boarder | M | http://rec-law.us/2lyPijQ | http://rec-law.us/2kx9IZY | |||||
25 | 2/8 | NY | Hunter Mountain | Annapurna Trail | Expert | lost control and slid about 200 feet before going off the trail and striking several trees | Skier | 58 | M | Orange County | http://rec-law.us/2lshaWj | http://rec-law.us/2kYw5dN | ||
26 | 2/10 | CO | Breckenridge Ski Area | Advanced | severe head trauma | 26 | M | Mexico City, MX | Y | http://rec-law.us/2lvm4G6 | http://rec-law.us/2lIhwJk | |||
27 | 2/11 | VT | Killington | collided with a tree | Boarder | 26 | M | Toms River, NJ | N | http://rec-law.us/2kkXYsm | http://rec-law.us/2l41Hiz | |||
28 | 2/11 | CT | Mohawk Mountain Ski Area | Collison with another skier | Skier | F | http://rec-law.us/2l5nXbM | http://rec-law.us/2l5nXbM | ||||||
29 | 2/13 | VT | Stowe | Cliff Trail | trapped in deep snow in a tree well | hypothermia | Boarder | 22 | M | Needham, M | http://rec-law.us/2lhaAW2 | http://rec-law.us/2lhaAW2 | ||
30 | 2/15 | CO | Winter Park Resort | Forget-Me-Not | trapped in deep snow in a tree well | 17 | F | http://rec-law.us/2llpNoO | http://rec-law.us/2llpNoO | |||||
31 | severe head injury | 44 | M | KS | http://rec-law.us/2l7e906 | |||||||||
32 | 2/17 | OH | Snow Trails | tried to avoid a collision with a young girl and man in his path | Hit a pole
|
59 | M | Gahanna, OH | http://rec-law.us/2l7f29b | http://rec-law.us/2lWb3xL | ||||
33 | 2/22 | NH | Cranmore Mountain Resort | Intermediate | crashed into a tree. | 13 | M | Y | http://rec-law.us/2mUPNWh | http://rec-law.us/2n6261d | ||||
34 | 2/23 | CA | Northstar | Treewell | 43 | M | New Canaan, CN | http://rec-law.us/2moN72Y | http://rec-law.us/2mwrsoJ | |||||
35 | 2/25 | CO | Purgatory Resort | Demon | Intermediate | struck a tree | 34 | F | Farmington, NM | Y | http://rec-law.us/2lJqrw5 | http://rec-law.us/2lK3mb3 | ||
36 | 2/26 | ID | Sun Valley | Can-Can | Tree well | 34 | M | Meridian | http://rec-law.us/2lc9awN | http://rec-law.us/2lcoPMP | ||||
37 | 3/3 | ME | Sugarloaf | Skidder trail | Double Black Diamond | 24 | M | Farmington | N | http://rec-law.us/2n3BYEe | http://rec-law.us/2n3BYEe | |||
38 | 3/3 | CO | Breckenridge Ski Resort | Broke her leg | 15 | F | Wichita, KS | N | http://rec-law.us/2meE4C0 | http://rec-law.us/2lDPKkK | ||||
39 | Hunter Mountain | Racer’s Edge Trail | Double Black Diamond | went off the trail and struck several trees | 20 | M | Cream Ridge, NJ | http://rec-law.us/2mx7FZo | ||||||
40 | 3/7 | CO | Eldora Mountain Resort | Mule Shoe | black diamond | crashing into a tree | Boarder | 23 | M | Aurora, CO | Y | http://rec-law.us/2mlzcg2 | http://rec-law.us/2mH5T8F | |
41 | 2/19 | CO | Buttermilk Mountain | Green | hit a tree | multiple skull fractures and other various serious injuries | 20 | M | OK | N | http://rec-law.us/2lRwy34 | http://rec-law.us/2n5lLSu | ||
42 | 3/12 | Mount Sunapee | Skyway trail | intermediate | M | http://rec-law.us/2ne4xCJ |
Download a PDF of this chart here. 2016 – 2017 Ski Season Deaths 3.15.17
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the ski areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
If you cannot read the entire chart you can download it here.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2017 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Skiing, Snowboarding, Fatality, Ski Area, Tree Well, Avalanche, In Bounds, Collision, Ski Instructor, Natural Causes, Northstar, Killington, Alpental, Mt. Rose, Keystone, Breckenridge, Northstar, 49 Degrees North, Hunter Mountain, Cannon Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain, Snowbasin Resort,
2016-2017 In bound ski/board fatalities
Posted: March 1, 2017 Filed under: Ski Area, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: 49 Degrees North, Alpental, avalanche, Breckenridge, Cannon Mountain, Collision, fatality, Hunter Mountain, In Bounds, Keystone, Killington, Mt. Rose, Natural Causes, Northstar, ski area, ski instructor, Snowbasin Resort, snowboarding, Snowshoe Mountain, Tree Well Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of February 27, 2017. Thanks.
Skiing and Snowboarding are still safer than being in your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from skiing but to help you understand the risks.
Red type is natural or medical conditions that occurred inbounds on the slopes
Green Type is Fatalities while sledding at the Resort
Blue Type is a Lift Accidents
Purple Type is Employee or Ski Patroller
# | Date | State | Resort | Where | Trail Difficulty | How | Cause of death | Ski/ Board | Age | Sex | Home town | Helmet | Reference | Ref # 2 |
1 | 11/26 | CO | Keystone | Elk Run | Intermediate | Hit lift tower at high speed | Skier | 18 | M | LA | Y | http://rec-law.us/2h2ul1Z | http://rec-law.us/2gXbKA8 | |
2 | 12/10 | VT | Killington Ski Area | Intermediate | Found dead | Skier | 65 | M | Lagrangeville, NY | http://rec-law.us/2hml9oW | http://rec-law.us/2gHi01C | |||
3 | 12/11 | CA | Northstar | Village Run | Expert (off duty ski instructor) | hit several rocks and crashed into a creek avoiding other skier | Skier | 35 | M | Incline Village, NV & Kings Beach | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hwJAAy | http://rec-law.us/2gwnmJQ | |
4 | 12/11 | NV | Alpental Ski area | Tree Well | death was asphyxia due to immersion in snow | Skier | 45 | M | http://rec-law.us/2hqZSb9 | http://rec-law.us/2hqZSb9 | ||||
5 | 12/11 | NV | Mt. Rose | The Chutes | Avalanche in closed run | Skier | 60 | M | http://rec-law.us/2gHp1iZ | http://rec-law.us/2hAAxOP | ||||
6 | 12/12 | VT | Killington Ski Area | Skier | 80 | M | Wappingers Falls, NY | http://rec-law.us/2hqD3UN | ||||||
7 | 12/19 | CO | Breckenridge | Alpine Alley | Hit a tree | accidental blunt force trauma | 48 | M | Longmont CO | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hckGX4 | http://rec-law.us/2ialr2Y | ||
8 | 12/29 | CO | Ski Granby Ranch | Quick Draw Express lift | Fell out of chair lift | traumatic rupture of the aorta and blunt force trauma to the torso | Skier | 40 | F | San Antonio, TX | http://rec-law.us/2ixiwhN | http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/29/mom-dies-daughters-hurt-chairlift/95988502/ | ||
9 | 12/31 | UT | Snowbasin | Hit tree | Skier | 24 | M | Ogden, UT | Y | http://rec-law.us/2iV7Qg8 | http://rec-law.us/2hQsaKC | |||
10 | 1/1/17 | MI | Crystal Mountain | Penny Lane | Intermediate | lost control and veered into a tree | crash cracked Delaney’s helmet and caused a serious brain injury | Skier | 10 | F | La Grange, IL | Y | http://rec-law.us/2hSv1pC | http://rec-law.us/2hSz19J |
11 | 1/1 | OR | Mt. Baker | Found slumped over snowmobile | 67 | M | http://rec-law.us/2iIa5mA | |||||||
12 | 1/7 | VT | Killington | Skyeship Gondola | Found on Floor | Fall | M | http://rec-law.us/2iWImP5 | ||||||
13 | 1/13 | CO | Breckenridge | Expert | Found by ski patrol | Skull Fracture | 47 | M | Longmot, CO | N | http://rec-law.us/2jZgniK | http://rec-law.us/2jkovaw | ||
14 | 1/16 | VT | Sugar Bush | Mount Ellen | Hit Tree | Hampden | Skier | 39 | M | Hampden, MA | N | http://rec-law.us/2jqt6un | http://rec-law.us/2jqt6un | |
15 | PA | Shawnee Mountain Ski Area | lost control and struck an orange safety fence | 15 | F | Singapore | http://rec-law.us/2jSL1X9 | http://rec-law.us/2j38nt0 | ||||||
16 | 1/14 | UT | Brighton Ski Resort | hit a tree | Boarder | 35 | M | Millcreek, UT | http://rec-law.us/2jsJevi | http://rec-law.us/2jGiFA6 | ||||
17 | 1/14 | NY | Belleayre Mountain Ski Center | Wanatuska Trail | Expert | Boarding | 25 | M | Centersport, NY | http://rec-law.us/2jDcHlZ | http://rec-law.us/2jGKr1J | |||
18 | 1/24 | CA | Squaw Valley | Gold Coast Ridge | denotation of an explosive charge | 42 | M | Olympic Valley, CA | http://rec-law.us/2jXfW7Y | http://rec-law.us/2kqBruQ | ||||
19 | 1/26 | WA | Stevens Pass Mountain Resort | Mill Valley side | Expert | found the man unresponsive and not breathing | 55 | M | Woodinville, WA | http://rec-law.us/2kBlZQD | ||||
20 | 1/26 | PA | Camelback Ski Resort | Hump | Expert | he went off the trail | Boarding | 21 | M | Stroudsburg | N | http://rec-law.us/2kvWmNF | ||
21 | 1/20 died 1/27 | UT | Snowbasin Resort | Bluegrass Terrain Park | He fell hard | suffered damage to his vertebrae that extended into the base of his brain | Skier | M | Ogden, UT | http://rec-law.us/2jD3onj | ||||
22 | 2/4 | WV | Snowshoe Mountain | went off the trail | Skier | 67 | M | http://rec-law.us/2kznvzN | http://rec-law.us/2kDUz9W | |||||
3 | 2/5 | Cannon Mountain | Taft Slalom | lost control | 57 | F | Amherst | http://rec-law.us/2jZ34iW | http://rec-law.us/2kvXumu | |||||
24 | 2/6 | WA | 49 Degrees North ski area | Tree Skiiing | falling into a tree well | Boarder | M | http://rec-law.us/2lyPijQ | http://rec-law.us/2kx9IZY | |||||
25 | 2/8 | NY | Hunter Mountain | Annapurna Trail | Expert | lost control and slid about 200 feet before going off the trail and striking several trees | Skier | 58 | M | Orange County | http://rec-law.us/2lshaWj | http://rec-law.us/2kYw5dN | ||
26 | 2/10 | CO | Breckenridge Ski Area | Advanced | severe head trauma | 26 | M | Mexico City, MX | Y | http://rec-law.us/2lvm4G6 | http://rec-law.us/2lIhwJk | |||
27 | 2/11 | VT | Killington | collided with a tree | Boarder | 26 | M | Toms River, NJ | N | http://rec-law.us/2kkXYsm | http://rec-law.us/2l41Hiz | |||
28 | 2/11 | CT | Mohawk Mountain Ski Area | Collison with another skier | Skier | F | http://rec-law.us/2l5nXbM | http://rec-law.us/2l5nXbM | ||||||
29 | 2/13 | VT | Stowe | Cliff Trail | trapped in deep snow in a tree well | hypothermia | Boarder | 22 | M | Needham, M | http://rec-law.us/2lhaAW2 | http://rec-law.us/2lhaAW2 | ||
30 | 2/15 | CO | Winter Park Resort | Forget-Me-Not | trapped in deep snow in a tree well | 17 | F | http://rec-law.us/2llpNoO | http://rec-law.us/2llpNoO | |||||
31 | severe head injury | 44 | M | KS | http://rec-law.us/2l7e906 | |||||||||
32 | 2/17 | OH | Snow Trails | tried to avoid a collision with a young girl and man in his path | Hit a pole
|
59 | M | Gahanna, OH | http://rec-law.us/2l7f29b | http://rec-law.us/2lWb3xL | ||||
33 | 2/23 | CA | Northstar | Treewell | 43 | M | New Canaan, CN | http://rec-law.us/2moN72Y | http://rec-law.us/2mwrsoJ | |||||
34 | 2/25 | CO | Purgatory Resort | Demon | Intermediate | struck a tree | 34 | F | Farmington, NM | Y | http://rec-law.us/2lJqrw5 | http://rec-law.us/2lK3mb3 |
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the ski areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
If you cannot read the entire chart you can download it here. 2016-2017-ski-season-deaths-3-1-17
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2017 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Skiing, Snowboarding, Fatality, Ski Area, Tree Well, Avalanche, In Bounds, Collision, Ski Instructor, Natural Causes, Northstar, Killington, Alpental, Mt. Rose, Keystone, Breckenridge, Northstar, 49 Degrees North, Hunter Mountain, Cannon Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain, Snowbasin Resort,
2016-2017 In bound ski/board fatalities
Posted: January 25, 2017 Filed under: Avalanche, Ski Area, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding, Snow Tubing | Tags: avalanche, Collision, fatality, In Bounds, Natural Causes, ski area, ski instructor, skiing, snowboarding, Tree Well 2 CommentsThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of January 21, 2017. Thanks.
Skiing and Snowboarding are still safer than being in your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from skiing but to help you understand the risks.
Red type is natural or medical conditions that occurred inbounds on the slopes
Green Type is Fatalities while sledding at the Resort
Blue Type is a Lift Accidents
Purple Type is Employee or Ski Patroller
# |
Date |
State |
Resort |
Where |
Trail Difficulty |
How |
Cause of death |
Ski/ Board |
Age |
Sex |
Home town |
Helmet |
Reference |
Ref # 2 |
1 |
11/26 |
CO |
Keystone |
Elk Run |
Intermediate |
Hit lift tower at high speed |
|
Skier |
18 |
M |
LA |
Y |
||
2 |
12/10 |
VT |
Killington Ski Area |
|
Intermediate |
Found dead |
|
Skier |
65 |
M |
Lagrangeville, NY |
|
||
3 |
12/11 |
CA |
Northstar |
Village Run |
Expert (off duty ski instructor) |
hit several rocks and crashed into a creek avoiding other skier |
|
Skier |
35 |
M |
Incline Village, NV & Kings Beach |
Y |
||
4 |
12/11 |
NV |
Alpental Ski area |
|
|
Tree Well |
death was asphyxia due to immersion in snow |
Skier |
45 |
M |
|
|
||
5 |
12/11 |
NV |
Mt. Rose |
The Chutes |
|
Avalanche in closed run |
|
Skier |
60 |
M |
|
|
||
6 |
12/12 |
VT |
Killington Ski Area |
|
|
|
|
Skier |
80 |
M |
Wappingers Falls, NY |
|
|
|
7 |
12/19 |
CO |
Keystone |
Alpine Alley |
|
Hit a tree |
accidental blunt force trauma |
|
48 |
M |
Longmont CO |
Y |
||
8 |
12/29 |
CO |
Ski Granby Ranch |
Quick Draw Express lift |
|
Fell out of chair lift |
traumatic rupture of the aorta and blunt force trauma to the torso |
Skier |
40 |
F |
San Antonio, TX |
|
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/29/mom-dies-daughters-hurt-chairlift/95988502/ |
|
9 |
12/31 |
UT |
Snowbasin |
|
|
Hit tree |
|
Skier |
24 |
M |
Ogden, UT |
Y |
||
10 |
1/1/17 |
MI |
Crystal Mountain |
Penny Lane |
Intermediate |
lost control and veered into a tree |
crash cracked Delaney’s helmet and caused a serious brain injury |
Skier |
10 |
F |
La Grange, IL |
Y |
||
11 |
1/1 |
OR |
Mt. Baker |
|
|
Found slumped over snowmobile |
|
|
67 |
M |
|
|
|
|
12 |
1/7 |
VT |
Killington |
Skyeship Gondola |
|
Found on Floor |
Fall |
|
|
M |
|
|
|
|
13 |
1/13 |
CO |
Breckenridge |
|
Expert |
Found by ski patrol |
Skull Fracture |
|
47 |
M |
Longmot, CO |
N |
||
13 |
1/16 |
VT |
Sugar Bush |
Mount Ellen |
|
Hit Tree |
Hampden |
Skier |
39 |
M |
Hampden, MA |
N |
||
14 |
|
PA |
Shawnee Mountain Ski Area |
|
|
lost control and struck an orange safety fence |
|
|
15 |
F |
Singapore |
|
||
|
1/14 |
UT |
Brighton Ski Resort |
|
|
hit a tree |
|
Boarder |
35 |
M |
Millcreek, UT |
|
||
|
1/14 |
NY |
Belleayre Mountain Ski Center |
Wanatuska Trail |
Expert |
|
|
Boarding |
25 |
M |
Centersport, NY |
|
Download a PDF of this chart here. 2016-2017-ski-season-deaths
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the ski areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
If you cannot read the entire chart you can download it here.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2017 Recreation Law (720) 334-8529
Email: Rec-law@recreation–law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Skiing, Snowboarding, Fatality, Ski Area, Tree Well, Avalanche, In Bounds, Collision, Ski Instructor, Natural Causes, Northstart, Killington, Alpental, Mt. Rose, Keystone,
2016-2017 In bound ski/board fatalities (Way to Early, Way to Many)
Posted: December 14, 2016 Filed under: Avalanche, Ski Area, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: Alpental, avalanche, Collision, fatality, In Bounds, Keystone, Killington, Mt. Rose, Natural Causes, Northstart, ski area, ski instructor, skiing, snowboarding, Tree Well Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of December 12, 2016. Thanks.
Skiing and Snowboarding are still safer than being in your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from skiing but to help you understand the risks.
Red type is natural or medical conditions that occurred inbounds on the slopes
Green Type is Fatalities while sledding at the Resort
Blue Type is a Lift Accidents
Purple Type is Employee or Ski Patroller
# |
Date |
State |
Resort |
Where |
Trail Difficulty |
How |
Cause of death |
Ski/ Board |
Age |
Sex |
Home town |
Helmet |
Reference |
Ref # 2 |
1 |
11/26 |
CO |
Keystone |
Elk Run |
Intermediate |
Hit lift tower at high speed |
|
Skier |
18 |
M |
LA |
Y |
||
2 |
12/10 |
VT |
Killington Ski Area |
|
Intermediate |
Found dead |
|
Skier |
65 |
M |
Lagrangeville, NY |
|
||
3 |
12/11 |
CA |
Northstar |
Village Run |
Expert (off duty ski instructor) |
hit several rocks and crashed into a creek avoiding other skier |
|
Skier |
35 |
M |
Incline Village, NV & Kings Beach |
Y |
||
4 |
12/11 |
NV |
Alpental Ski area |
|
|
Tree Well |
death was asphyxia due to immersion in snow |
Skier |
45 |
M |
|
|
||
5 |
12/11 |
NV |
Mt. Rose |
The Chutes |
|
Avalanche in closed run |
|
Skier |
60 |
M |
|
|
||
6 |
12/12 |
VT |
Killington Ski Area |
|
|
|
|
Skier |
80 |
M |
NY |
|
|
Download a PDF of this chart here: 2016-2017-ski-season-deaths-12-14-16
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the ski areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
If you cannot read the entire chart you can download it here.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Skiing, Snowboarding, Fatality, Ski Area, Tree Well, Avalanche, In Bounds, Collision, Ski Instructor, Natural Causes, Northstart, Killington, Alpental, Mt. Rose, Keystone,
Summer 2016 Commercial Fatalities
Posted: December 7, 2016 Filed under: Avalanche, Climbing, Mountaineering, Paddlesports | Tags: avalanche, Cat Skiing, fatality, Oregon, Whitewater Rafting Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of December 1, 2016. Thanks.
Rafting, Mountaineering, Skiing out of bounds and other sports are probably still safer than your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from any activity but to help you understand the risks and to study.
Red is a probable death due to medical issues unrelated to the activity
Blue is an employee fatality
Dark blue is a death of an employee while working
Date |
Activity |
State |
Location |
What |
Age |
Sex |
Location 2 |
Reference |
Ref 2 |
Company |
3/22 |
Cat Skiing |
OR |
Mt. Bailey |
Avalanche hit tree |
|
M |
|
|
||
5/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
WA |
Wenatchee River |
Raft Flipped |
53 |
M |
Dryden |
|
Orion River |
|
|
Whitewater Rafting |
ME |
Dead River |
Fell out |
52 |
M |
|
North Country Rivers |
||
5/22 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
61 |
F |
Parkdale |
Echo Canyon River Expeditions |
||
6/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Lowe River |
Fell out |
48 |
F |
|
|
|
|
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Roaring Fork |
Flip |
50 |
M |
Slaughterhouse section |
Aspen Whitewater Rafting |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
69 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
67 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/22 |
Sea Kayaking |
ME |
Downeast Maine |
High Seas |
63 |
M |
Corea Harbor |
|
SeaScape Kayaks |
|
6/22 |
Sea Kayaking |
ME |
Downeast Maine |
High Seas |
|
M |
Corea Harbor |
|
SeaScape Kayaks |
|
6/24/16 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Green River |
|
63 |
F |
Disaster Falls |
Adrift Adventures |
||
7/2/16 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
51 |
F |
Zoom Flume |
River Runners |
||
7/17 |
Inflatable Kayak |
OR |
Rogue River |
Fell out & trapped unwater |
57 |
M |
Wildcat Rapid |
|
|
|
7/21 |
Canoe Trip |
MN |
Boundary Waters |
Lighting Strike |
39 |
F |
Basswood Lake |
BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base |
||
7/21 |
Canoe Trip |
MN |
Boundary Waters |
Lighting Strike |
13 |
M |
Basswood Lake |
BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base |
||
7/23 |
Mountain Climbing |
WY |
Grand Teton National Park |
Fell |
42 |
M |
Valhalla Canyon near the Black Ice Coulier |
Exum |
||
9/12 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AZ |
Grand Canyon NP |
Guide walked out of camp with inflatable |
34 |
M |
Pancho’s Kitchen |
|
OARS |
If you would like a PDF of this chart please click here.
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, #RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Fatality, Avalanche, Cat Skiing, Oregon, Whitewater Rafting,
CAIC 9th Annual Benefit Bash is coming December 3
Posted: November 26, 2016 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: avalanche, Benefit, CAIC, Colorado, Colorado Avalanche Information Center Leave a commentTickets are selling quickly. Do you have yours?
Join us on Saturday, December 3, at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge and support the CAIC in their continued efforts in avalanche forecasting and education throughout Colorado. We hope you can join us! Tickets are on sale now! Get yours today.
Saturday, December 3
9th Annual CAIC Benefit Bash
Breckenridge Riverwalk Center
5:00pm – 10:00pm
Tickets: http://caicbenefitbash.eventbrite.com/?aff=email1
More info: http://avalanche.state.co.us/about-us/events/
Here are few things you have to look forward to:
• Live music from Pearl and Wood and The Davenports.
• Fantastic beer from Breckenridge Brewery, Broken Compass Brewing Company, Backcountry Brewery, Pug Ryan’s Brewing Company, Dillon Dam Brewery, and The Baker’s Brewery.
• Amazing catered dinner from Food Hedz.
• Over $60,000 in our silent auction and door prizes that must go home with our guests!
It’s That Time of Year: CAIC Backcountry Weather Forecasting has started, Send in some money & Get on the list
Posted: November 25, 2016 Filed under: Avalanche | Tags: avalanche, Backcountry Weather Forecast, CAIC, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, Forecast Leave a comment
© 2008-2014 Colorado Avalanche Information Center. All rights reserved. |
Shop G3 and G3 will donate to your local Avalanche Center. Good deal for All
Posted: November 24, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: avalanche, Avalanche Center, CAIC, Colorado Avalanche Information Center, G3 Genuine Guide Gear Leave a comment
|
Summer 2016 Commercial Fatalities
Posted: September 7, 2016 Filed under: Paddlesports, Sea Kayaking | Tags: avalanche, Cat Skiing, fatality, Oregon, Whitewater Rafting Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of September 1, 2016. Thanks.
Rafting, Mountaineering, Skiing out of bounds and other sports are probably still safer than your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from any activity but to help you understand the risks and to study.
Red is a probable death due to medical issues unrelated to the activity
Blue is an employee fatality
Dark blue is a death of an employee while working
Date |
Activity |
State |
Location |
What |
Age |
Sex |
Location 2 |
Reference |
Ref 2 |
Company |
3/22 |
Cat Skiing |
OR |
Mt. Bailey |
Avalanche hit tree |
|
M |
|
|
||
5/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
WA |
Wenatchee River |
Raft Flipped |
53 |
M |
Dryden |
|
Orion River |
|
|
Whitewater Rafting |
ME |
Dead River |
Fell out |
52 |
M |
|
North Country Rivers |
||
5/22 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
61 |
F |
Parkdale |
Echo Canyon River Expeditions |
||
6/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Lowe River |
Fell out |
48 |
F |
|
|
|
|
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Roaring Fork |
Flip |
50 |
M |
Slaughterhouse section |
Aspen Whitewater Rafting |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
69 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
67 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/22 |
Sea Kayaking |
ME |
Downeast Maine |
High Seas |
63 |
M |
Corea Harbor |
|
SeaScape Kayaks |
|
6/22 |
Sea Kayaking |
ME |
Downeast Maine |
High Seas |
|
M |
Corea Harbor |
|
SeaScape Kayaks |
|
6/24/16 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Green River |
|
63 |
F |
Disaster Falls |
Adrift Adventures |
||
7/2/16 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
51 |
F |
Zoom Flume |
River Runners |
||
7/17 |
Inflatable Kayak |
OR |
Rogue River |
Fell out & trapped unwater |
57 |
M |
Wildcat Rapid |
|
|
|
7/21 |
Canoe Trip |
MN |
Boundary Waters |
Lighting Strike |
39 |
F |
Basswood Lake |
BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base |
||
7/21 |
Canoe Trip |
MN |
Boundary Waters |
Lighting Strike |
13 |
M |
Basswood Lake |
BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base |
||
7/23 |
Mountain Climbing |
WY |
Grand Teton National Park |
Fell |
42 |
M |
Valhalla Canyon near the Black Ice Coulier |
Exum |
If you would like a PDF of this chart please click here. 2016 Commercial Fatalities 9.1.16
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, #RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Fatality, Avalanche, Cat Skiing, Oregon, Whitewater Rafting,
Summer 2016 Commercial Fatalities
Posted: July 27, 2016 Filed under: Camping, Paddlesports, Whitewater Rafting | Tags: avalanche, Boundary Waters, Boy Scouts, BSA, Canoeing, Cat Skiing, Oregon, tality, Whitewater Rafting Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of July 20, 2016. Thanks.
Rafting, Mountaineering, Skiing out of bounds and other sports are probably still safer than your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from any activity but to help you understand the risks and to study.
Red is a probable death due to medical issues unrelated to the activity
Blue is an employee fatality
Dark blue is a death of an employee while working
Date |
Activity |
State |
Location |
What |
Age |
Sex |
Location 2 |
Reference |
Ref 2 |
Company |
3/22 |
Cat Skiing |
OR |
Mt. Bailey |
Avalanche hit tree |
|
M |
|
|
||
5/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
WA |
Wenatchee River |
Raft Flipped |
53 |
M |
Dryden |
|
Orion River |
|
|
Whitewater Rafting |
ME |
Dead River |
Fell out |
52 |
M |
|
North Country Rivers |
||
5/22 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
61 |
F |
Parkdale |
Echo Canyon River Expeditions |
||
6/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Lowe River |
Fell out |
48 |
F |
|
|
|
|
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Roaring Fork |
Flip |
50 |
M |
Slaughterhouse section |
Aspen Whitewater Rafting |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
69 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
67 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/22 |
Sea Kayaking |
ME |
Downeast Maine |
High Seas |
63 |
M |
Corea Harbor |
|
SeaScape Kayaks |
|
6/22 |
Sea Kayaking |
ME |
Downeast Maine |
High Seas |
|
M |
Corea Harbor |
|
SeaScape Kayaks |
|
6/24/16 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Green River |
|
63 |
F |
Disaster Falls |
Adrift Adventures |
||
7/2/16 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
51 |
F |
Zoom Flume |
River Runners |
||
7/17 |
Inflatable Kayak |
OR |
Rogue River |
Fell out & trapped unwater |
57 |
M |
Wildcat Rapid |
|
|
|
7/21 |
Canoe Trip |
MN |
Boundary Waters |
Lighting Strike |
39 |
F |
Basswood Lake |
BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base |
||
7/21 |
Canoe Trip |
MN |
Boundary Waters |
Lighting Strike |
13 |
M |
Basswood Lake |
BSA Northern Tier High Adventure Base |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you would like a PDF of this chart please click here.
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, #RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Fatality, Avalanche, Cat Skiing, Oregon, Whitewater Rafting,
Summer 2016 Commercial Fatalities
Posted: June 29, 2016 Filed under: Whitewater Rafting | Tags: avalanche, Cat Skiing, fatality, Oregon Leave a commentThis list is not guaranteed to be accurate. The information is found from web searches and news dispatches. Those references are part of the chart. If you have a source for information on any fatality please leave a comment or contact me. Thank you.
If this information is incorrect or incomplete please let me know. This is up to date as of June 15, 2016. Thanks.
Rafting, Mountaineering, Skiing out of bounds and other sports are probably still safer than your kitchen or bathroom. This information is not to scare you away from any activity but to help you understand the risks and to study.
Red is a probable death due to medical issues unrelated to the activity
Blue is an employee fatality
Dark blue is a death of an employee while working
Date |
Activity |
State |
Location |
What |
Age |
Sex |
Location 2 |
Reference |
Ref 2 |
Company |
3/22 |
Cat Skiing |
OR |
Mt. Bailey |
Avalanche, hit tree |
|
M |
|
|
||
5/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
WA |
Wenatchee River |
Raft Flipped |
53 |
M |
Dryden |
|
Orion River |
|
|
Whitewater Rafting |
ME |
Dead River |
Fell out |
52 |
M |
|
North Country Rivers |
||
5/22 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Arkansas River |
Fell out |
61 |
F |
Parkdale |
Echo Canyon River Expeditions |
||
6/4 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Lowe River |
Fell out |
48 |
F |
|
|
|
|
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
CO |
Roaring Fork |
Flip |
50 |
M |
Slaughterhouse section |
Aspen Whitewater Rafting |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
69 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
||
6/15 |
Whitewater Rafting |
AK |
Kongakut River |
Flip |
67 |
F |
|
Alaska Alpine Adventures |
If you would like a PDF of this chart please click here: 2016 Summer Commercial Fatalities
Our condolences go to the families of the deceased. Our thoughts extend to the families and staff at the areas who have to deal with these tragedies.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
#AdventureTourism, #AdventureTravelLaw, #AdventureTravelLawyer, #AttorneyatLaw, #Backpacking, #BicyclingLaw, #Camps, #ChallengeCourse, #ChallengeCourseLaw, #ChallengeCourseLawyer, #CyclingLaw, #FitnessLaw, #FitnessLawyer, #Hiking, #HumanPowered, #HumanPoweredRecreation, #IceClimbing, #JamesHMoss, #JimMoss, #Law, #Mountaineering, #Negligence, #OutdoorLaw, #OutdoorRecreationLaw, #OutsideLaw, #OutsideLawyer, #RecLaw, #Rec-Law, #RecLawBlog, #Rec-LawBlog, #RecLawyer, #RecreationalLawyer, #RecreationLaw, #RecreationLawBlog, #RecreationLawcom, #Recreation-Lawcom, #Recreation-Law.com, #RiskManagement, #RockClimbing, #RockClimbingLawyer, #RopesCourse, #RopesCourseLawyer, #SkiAreas, #Skiing, #SkiLaw, #Snowboarding, #SummerCamp, #Tourism, #TravelLaw, #YouthCamps, #ZipLineLawyer, Fatality, Avalanche, Cat Skiing, Oregon, Whitewater Rafting,
Colorado Supreme Court rules that an inbounds Avalanche is an inherent risk assumed by skiers based upon the Colorado Skier Safety Act.
Posted: June 13, 2016 Filed under: Avalanche, Colorado, Ski Area, Skiing / Snow Boarding | Tags: #Avalanche, avalanche, Colorado Skier Safety Act, CSSA, Inherent Risk, Skier Safety Act, Winter Park Leave a commentThe decision came down as generally expected, an avalanche is snow and any type of snow is an inherent risk assumed by skiers and boarders as defined by the Colorado Skier Safety Act.
Fleury v. IntraWest Winter Park Operations Corporation, 2016 CO 41; 2016 Colo. LEXIS 532
State: Colorado, Supreme Court of Colorado
Plaintiff: Salynda E. Fleury, individually on behalf of Indyka Norris and Sage Norris, and as surviving spouse of Christopher H. Norris
Defendant: IntraWest Winter Park Operations Corporation
Plaintiff Claims: negligence and wrongful death
Defendant Defenses: Colorado Skier Safety Act
Holding: for the defendant
Year: 2016
The deceased went skiing at Winter Park. While skiing he rode a lift to Trestle Trees run, an inbounds run at Winter Park. An avalanche occurred, and the skier was killed.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, (CAIC) had been issuing warnings about avalanches based on new heavy snows. Winter Park admitted knowing about the warnings and knowing that there was the possibility of unstable snow on Trestle Trees run. Winter Park also never posted warning signs about the avalanche risk or closed runs.
Side comment: What would you do if you saw a sign that said warning, increased likelihood of avalanches today?
The plaintiff sued, and the trial court dismissed the case based on the Colorado Skier Safety Act (CSSA). The appellate court in a split decision upheld the trial court ruling. The Colorado Supreme Court granted certiorari and heard the case.
Certiorari is granted when an appeal to an appellate court to hear a case is approved. There is no automatic right of appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court for civil cases (most of the time) so the party that wants to appeal has to file an argument why the Supreme Court should hear their appeal. If the appeal is granted, then a Writ of Certiorari is issued telling the parties to bring their case to the court. Certiorari is Latin for “to be informed of, or to be made certain in regard to.”
When a Writ of Certiorari is granted, most times the arguments to be presented to the court are defined by the court. Here the writ was issued to:
Whether, for the purposes of the Ski Safety Act (“SSA”) of 1979, codified at sections C.R.S. 33-44-101 to -114 (2014), the term “inherent dangers and risks of skiing,” as defined in C.R.S. 33-44-103(3.5) (2014), encompasses avalanches that occur within the bounds of a ski resort, in areas open to skiers at the time in question.
Probably, because of the value of the decision to the state, skiing is a big economic driver and because of the split decision at the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court heard the case and issued this decision.
Analysis: making sense of the law based on these facts.
The entire issue revolves around interpreting once section of the CSSA. The words or phrases the Court liked at are highlighted.
C.R.S. §§ 33-44-103. Definitions.
(3.5) “Inherent dangers and risks of skiing” means those dangers or conditions that are part of the sport of skiing, including changing weather conditions; snow conditions as they exist or may change, such as ice, hard pack, powder, packed powder, wind pack, corn, crust, slush, cut-up snow, and machine-made snow; surface or subsurface conditions such as bare spots, forest growth, rocks, stumps, streambeds, cliffs, extreme terrain, and trees, or other natural objects, and collisions with such natural objects; impact with lift towers, signs, posts, fences or enclosures, hydrants, water pipes, or other man-made structures and their components; variations in steepness or terrain, whether natural or as a result of slope design, snowmaking or grooming operations, including but not limited to roads, freestyle terrain, jumps, and catwalks or other terrain modifications; collisions with other skiers; and the failure of skiers to ski within their own abilities. The term “inherent dangers and risks of skiing” does not include the negligence of a ski area operator as set forth in section 33-44-104 (2). Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the liability of the ski area operator for injury caused by the use or operation of ski lifts.
If an avalanche is an inherent risk as defined by the CSSA, then a skier/boarder/tele skier, etc., assumes the risk and cannot sue the ski area for any injury or claim.
Does the phrases weather conditions and snow conditions as they exist or may change encompass or the term Avalanche or can an Avalanche be defined by such phrases.
One obvious way in which a snow condition “may change” is through movement of the snow, including by wind and gravity. And at its core, an avalanche is moving snow caused by gravity. The dictionary definition of “avalanche” is “a large mass of snow, ice, earth, rock, or other material in swift motion down a mountainside or over a precipice.”
The court found that the phrases in the CSSA defined an avalanche.
At bottom, then, an avalanche is one way in which snow conditions may change. As alleged here, snow conditions started with fresh snow on unstable snowpack, and, within moments, changed to a mound of snow at the bottom of the incline. We therefore, conclude that Norris’s death is alleged to have been caused by changing snow conditions.
The decision was fairly simple for the court to reach.
Because an avalanche is, at its essence, the movement of snow, and is therefore, a way in which snow conditions may change, we hold that section 33-44-103(3.5) covers in-bounds avalanches. It follows that section 33-44-112 precludes skiers from suing operators to recover for injuries resulting from in-bounds avalanches.
There was a dissent to this opinion joined by one other judge who interpreted the issues along the arguments made by the plaintiff. An avalanche was not a snow condition but was an event. As such, it does not fall within the inherent risks of the CSSA.
The dissent was further supported by the idea that the statute was broad but the inherent risks were narrow in scope. If the legislature wanted avalanches to be included as an inherent risk, the legislature would have placed it in the statute when enacted, or anytime it has been modified since enactment.
So Now What?
Under the CSSA, an inbound movement of snow, an avalanche is an inherent risk of skiing and as such, a skier injured or killed by such snow assumes the risk of the injury.
The decision also provides some insight into how the court may interpret the risks of skiing in the future. In general, the CSSA is to be interpreted broadly. Skiing is a risky sport, and the CSSA was enacted to promote skiing and to identify, in advance the risk a skier must assume in Colorado.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
If you like this let your friends know or post it on FB, Twitter or LinkedIn
Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
Email: Rec-law@recreation-law.com
Google+: +Recreation
Twitter: RecreationLaw
Facebook: Rec.Law.Now
Facebook Page: Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Travel Law
Blog: www.recreation-law.com
Mobile Site: http://m.recreation-law.com
By Recreation Law Rec-law@recreation-law.com James H. Moss
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