A skier died Thursday after a catastrophic fall on one of Mammoth Mountain’s steepest expert runs, with the accident unfolding in full view of stunned onlookers riding a nearby chairlift. The incident marks the fourth death at the popular California ski resort this season.
The unidentified skier was attempting Dropout 2, a notorious double-black-diamond trail that plunges nearly 1,200 vertical feet from the 11,000-foot summit ridge.
Regarded as one of the steepest marked runs in the state, the slope is visible from Chair 23, which transports advanced skiers to some of the mountain’s most extreme terrain.
Witnesses said the skier fell near the top of the icy, heavily moguled run, lost both skis and slid headfirst down the slope for hundreds of yards as horrified bystanders watched helplessly from above.
“Looked like he lost skis high in deep moguls,” one eyewitness wrote on Reddit, calling it the “worst thing I’ve ever seen on the mountain.”
Mammoth Mountain confirmed that ski patrol rushed to the scene and administered life-saving care before the skier was transported to paramedics. Despite the efforts, the guest succumbed to injuries, the resort said in a statement.
The tragedy comes days after another alarming incident at Mammoth, where a 12-year-old girl survived a terrifying fall after dangling from a ski lift. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the deceased skier.
