A ski patroller at Mammoth Mountain, Claire Murphy, has died after being caught in an avalanche during mitigation efforts, resort officials confirmed. The incident occurred on February 14 on Lincoln Mountain, where Murphy and another ski patroller were swept up in a slide.
Rescue teams used beacon technology to locate both individuals. The first ski patroller was found uninjured, while Murphy was discovered with serious injuries. She was initially transported to Mammoth Hospital and later airlifted for further medical treatment. Despite efforts to save her, Murphy passed away from her injuries on February 22.
The avalanche took place in an area known as “The Avy Chutes” as ski patrollers conducted safety work ahead of opening the slopes. It coincided with a severe winter storm that brought approximately six feet of snow to Mammoth Mountain within 36 hours. The resort community is now mourning Murphy’s loss, with officials and colleagues expressing condolences for the veteran ski patroller.
An avalanche in central Colorado on Saturday resulted in one fatality, adding to a growing number of deadly incidents across the western U.S. this winter. The slide, triggered by a skier in the steep terrain of “The Fingers” above Berthoud Pass, was one of two reported avalanches in Grand County that day.
While others caught in a separate slide escaped unharmed, the latest tragedy marks Colorado’s third death this season and the second in just one week.
Avalanches have claimed multiple lives across the West in recent weeks. On Feb. 20, a snowboarder in Crested Butte was killed near Silverton, and on Feb. 17, three people perished—one near Lake Tahoe and two backcountry skiers in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. Earlier this month, a renowned outdoor guide lost his life in a Utah avalanche.
