http://www.summitdaily.com/news/breaking-26-year-old-skier-dies-at-breckenridge-ski-resort/?utm_source=presslaff&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=local-news-flash
Aside from the woman who fell from a chair at Granby Ranch in December, all three of the other ski deaths (all impact related) in Colorado this season have happened at Brteckenridge. The most recent was last Friday on one of the easier black runs (none are easy, most are double) on Peak 9's Devil's Crotch area - a particularly knarly below tree line area. All three deaths have happened on black terrain, which is unusual. They normally occur on blues when skiers lose control and run into trees.
Colorado experienced its fourth skier fatality of the 2016-17 season when 26-year-old Ricardo Cohen died at Breckenridge Ski Resort on Friday, Feb. 10.
Cohen, of Mexico City, Mexico, died while skiing on the Volunteer run off Peak 9’s C-Chair Friday morning after slamming hard into snow, according to the Summit County Coroner’s Office. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, but the level of head trauma from the crash ultimately proved too grave. Breckenridge Ski Patrol responded to the incident, but after on-scene medical care and evaluation Cohen was pronounced deceased.
“Breckenridge Ski Resort, Breckenridge Ski Patrol and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” John Buhler, vice president and COO of the ski area, said in a statement released by the resort Friday evening.
By Saturday afternoon, family and friends began posting tribute photos and messages on Facebook for Cohen, whose personal page lists his residence as Barcelona, Spain.
“I don’t know how to explain what I feel!” an English translation reads from Karem Sofia Coronado, Cohen’s cousin. “One thing I am sure of is that people like you in this world, there are very few. I know that God receives you with open arms.”
“I’ve been slow to share my pain,” reads a translated post from Sergio David Cohen Coronado, identifying Cohen as his godson. “We are stunned with this huge void. Ricardo was educated, always with love, and showed a great interest for others. Thanks to life for allowing me to be part of yours.”
Colorado Ski Country USA, the trade association that represents 22 of the state’s ski areas, though none of the four Colorado Vail Resorts properties, confirmed Cohen’s death marks the fourth of the current ski year. The two other skier collision fatalities this season have also happened on advanced terrain at Breckenridge Ski Resort ”” 48-year-old Kevin Pitts, of Longmont, on Dec. 19 on the Alpine Alley run and 47-year-old Sean Haberthier, of Denver, on Jan. 12 on the Lower Boneyard run.
The state’s other death this year occurred on Dec. 29 at Ski Granby Ranch in Grand County when 40-year-old Kelly Huber, of San Antonio, Texas, fell from the Quick Draw Express lift with her two young children after the chairlift bucked the three 25 feet to the ground due to a faulty part. Huber and her two daughters were raced to Middle Park Medical Center in Granby, before the youngest of her daughters, 9, was medevaced by Flight For Life to Children’s Hospital in Aurora. The two girls survived, while their mother succumbed to the severity of her traumatic injuries.
Nine people died while skiing or snowboarding in Colorado during the 2015-16 season, six of which occurred in Summit County. Four of those six Summit fatalities last year took place at Breckenridge, including the final three of the season ”” all in the month of April. The six in the county matched the same total during the 2013-14 season, and topped the four from 2014-15.
According to the National Ski Areas Association, a Lakewood, Colorado-based trade group representing the country’s resort owners and operators, there were 39 total fatalities nationwide last ski year.
Bob's post identifies yet another chairlift failure!
After reading this post I consider myself fortunate to only have 6 plus broken ribs after a snowboarder plowed into me 13 days ago on the Cupp Run bottom run-out at Snowshoe. One cannot be reminded enough that the downhill skier/rider has the right-a-way and the uphill overtaking rider must avoid a collision!!!!
MorganB
aka The Colonel
Unfortunately, not just Colorado for deaths recently. There was a death at Hunter, Belleayre, and Mohawk (CT) in recent weeks. All three happened on the slopes, no chairlift involved. The Mohawk incident was a collision. The other two only involved the individual who died.
The Colonel wrote:
Bob's post identifies yet another chairlift failure!
MorganB
aka The Colonel
Morgan, the Granby Ranch death was in fact caused by an equipment failure. 3 people fell 25 feet. 1 died.
"KUSA - A fatal chairlift accident at Ski Granby Ranch occurred after an equipment malfunction sent a chair carrying a Texas woman and her two daughters into a support pole, according to a report made public late Monday afternoon by the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board.
Kelly Huber, 40, of San Antonio, Texas, died after falling approximately 25 feet onto hard-packed snow in the Dec. 29 incident.
Her two daughters, ages 9 and 12, also were thrown out of the chair and were injured in the incident, which occurred on the Quick Draw Express ski lift that had been in operation for 17 years.
According to the state report, the investigation “identified issues within the chairlift’s electrical drive/control system that contributed to a rare dynamic event that occurred on the lift at the time of the incident.”
Investigators also concluded “that environmental factors, weather, and the occupants of Chair No. 58 did not contribute to the cause of the incident.”
The resort released the following statement:
The Quick Draw Express lift will resume operations on Tuesday, January 10th. As of tomorrow, 100% of the ski area’s terrain will be open to skiers and boarders. This follows the issuance of an operating license today by the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board. The lift has been closed and was under inspection following an incident on December 29th. Granby Ranch would again like to extend its condolences to the family of our guest who lost her life, and her family members who were injured in this tragic event. Granby Ranch places the highest value on the safety of our guests and the safe operation of all lifts and equipment at the resort. We would like to thank all of our guests, homeowners and team members for their supportive words and thoughts during this very difficult time.
Lee Rasizer, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, said in an e-mail the investigation into the incident was continuing and no one from the state would comment.
The board allowed the resort to reopen the lift but ordered that it not be operated using the electrical drive that was apparently in operation at the time of the accident. Instead, the board ordered Ski Granby Ranch to use a diesel engine system. The state also imposed new inspection requirements on the resort.
Huber suffered a traumatic rupture of her aorta, the main artery leading away from the heart, according to an autopsy. She also suffered other blunt force injuries.
http://www.9news.com/sports/ski/equipment-malfunction-caused-granby-fatal-chairlift-accident/384584266
