A man skiing at Mt. Bachelor, OR fell into a tree well and died on Friday afternoon, according to a report from resort officials. The male skier was found unresponsive in the tree well shortly before 3 pm, Drew Jackson, the resort’s director of marketing and communications, told KTVZ.
The skier was later identified as 53-year-old Kenneth Brundidge of Oregon City, OR. Brundidge, an experienced skier, had been skiing with companions in the area west of the Sparks Lake Run. The group became separated and after a short time of looking for him, they notified Mount Bachelor Ski Patrol who started searching for Brundidge. Brundidge was later found by another skier who flagged down ski patrol and resuscitation efforts were started but were ultimately unsuccessful.
His death is this third such death in 12-months at the resort. A 24-year-old snowboarder and a 19-year-old skier were killed on March 2nd last year when they fell into tree wells on the same mountain.
“All of us at Mt. Bachelor are heartbroken by the loss felt at the mountain today,” John McLeod, Mt. Bachelor’s president and general manager, said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences go out to the affected families and friends.”
The resort reiterated its recommendation that urges skiers and snowboarders to always go with a buddy and stay in sight of them, especially in treed areas, due to the danger of tree wells. They have received several feet of new snow in recent days, pushing well past the 100-inch mark after a slow start to the winter.
Mt. Bachelor’s “Safety Tip of the Day” on its website Friday said:
“Tree well risk is as high as it ever gets. Always ski or ride with a friend and educate yourself on good safety practices.”
