Mammoth Ski Patroller Dies in Avalanche During Work

A 30-year-old ski patroller at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California died Sunday from injuries sustained in an avalanche that struck during routine snow safety work the day after Christmas.

Cole Murphy, an experienced member of the resort's ski patrol team, was one of two patrollers caught in the slide on Lincoln Mountain around 7:30 a.m. Friday, December 26. The incident occurred as the team conducted avalanche mitigation efforts ahead of the resort's opening, amid a intense storm cycle that dumped more than five feet of snow on parts of the Eastern Sierra Nevada in the preceding week. The second patroller suffered non-life-threatening orthopedic injuries, underwent successful surgery and is recovering, according to resort officials.

Mammoth Mountain confirmed Murphy's death in a statement released Sunday afternoon, expressing profound sorrow over the loss. "Cole Murphy, 30, was an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and a love for his career," the resort wrote on social media. The announcement highlighted his dedication to snow safety and the tight-knit community of patrollers who serve as the mountain's primary first responders.