Ski Patroller, 30, Dies After Getting Caught in Avalanche. He ‘Felt Most Alive’ on Mountain, Family Says

A 30-year-old ski patroller has died after suffering critical injuries in an avalanche in California the day after Christmas.

On Sunday, Dec. 28, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area announced that ski patroller Cole Murphy died after he was caught in a slide on Lincoln Mountain in the Eastern Sierra Nevada range three days earlier. The resort described Murphy as “an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.”

On Friday, Dec. 26, around 7:30 a.m. local time, Mammoth Mountain’s ski patrol team was conducting “avalanche mitigation work” when the avalanche occurred, according to the resort’s initial update. Two patrollers were trapped and taken to a nearby hospital. Murphy was seriously injured, while the other patroller was treated for “possible broken bones,” Mammoth Mountain said that day.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and the Mono County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The incident came after the area received more than five feet of snow earlier in the week. On Dec. 26, the Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center issued a warning to locals: “Very dangerous avalanche conditions persist as heavy snowfall and strong southwest winds continue into the afternoon,” the agency said. “Even if things ease up later today, natural and human-triggered avalanches remain likely. Give it time, give it space, and avoid being on or under slopes steeper than about 30 degrees.”

Following Murphy’s death, his family shared a statement remembering him as someone who “felt most alive” on the mountain.

“In these tender days, he is held close by his family and friends who cherished him deeply,” the family said in a statement shared by Mammoth Mountain. “Cole moved through the world with kindness, intention, and a wholehearted devotion to the life he chose.”

Murphy is survived by his partner, Hayley, who the family said was at the “center of [his] heart.” They added that working at Mammoth Mountain as a ski patroller was “a calling.”

“It was his place of purpose, his community, and his second home,” the statement said.

In a separate tribute, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office also mourned the loss.

“Please hold Cole’s family, friends, and coworkers close in your heart. We consider our ski patrollers to be first responders, and therefore family,” officials said. “We grieve his loss and thank him for his service. Rest easy, Cole.”