STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — A skier died Friday after crashing into a tree well at Steamboat Ski & Resort.
As first reported by the Steamboat Radio, the 65-year-old man, who was from Kentucky, died after the crash, according to the Routt County Coroner's Office.
On Friday around 10 a.m., ski patrol at Steamboat received a report of a guest in distress in the Morningside area on the backside of the mountain, said Loryn Duke, spokesperson for Steamboat Ski & Resort. The patrol team responded to the guest and transported them to an ambulance, which brought the person to the hospital.
J. Mitch Locke, the Routt County coroner, said an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday to determine the cause of death.
Tree wells are areas of deep and loose snow under tree branches, especially evergreen trees. Somebody stuck is a tree well is at risk of suffocation. Experts recommend skiing away from trees in deep or windblown snow.
No other details were immediately available.