The King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) said a man skiing in the Alpental Ski area at Snoqualmie Pass died Sunday, December 11, 2016 after falling into a tree well just after 2PM.
KCSO Sgt. Cindi West said the man was skiing in bounds on the Snake Dance run. According to a press release, another man skiing with the victim saw him fall into the tree well and summoned others skiers to help pull the man out.
CPR was initiated quickly and Ski Patrol members arrived within minutes to continue the resuscitation efforts. Ski patrol transported the man to paramedics, but unfortunately he was pronounced dead.
Sgt. West said it appeared the victim was in his 40’s, but his name and age were not confirmed. The King County Medical Examiner will release the name and cause of death when the next of kin is notified.
Alpental opened for the season on Saturday, December 10th. It received about of foot of new snow over the past 24 hours. A tree well is a hollow created around the base of a tree that is covered by deep snow falls.
