Red Mountain’s general manager is sending condolences to the family of a man who succumbed to injuries after skiing at the resort Jan. 24.
“We are deeply saddened by this loss and our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends,” noted Don Thompson in a media statement.
The GM and president of Red Mountain Resort presses safety is always paramount and continues to be the main focus, incident aside.
“It’s a big, big mountain and we’re always looking at our safety,” he told the Times Monday. “It’s nothing that an incident (like this) is a catalyst for, it’s ongoing.”
The BC Coroners Service confirmed that Paul Omegna, 49, of Lake Washington, Washington State, was rushed to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital but could not be resuscitated Sunday, Jan. 24.
Ski patrol found him unresponsive at about 4 p.m. that day after he had been reported missing when he failed to meet up with companions.
Red reports the skier fell into a “marked natural depression near the Motherlode Chair Lift” and was tended to by ski patrol and mountain staff, who were later supported by paramedics and doctors.
“We remind our guests that natural hazards do exist such as tree wells, drainage areas, and rock faces and to ski together when venturing off groomed runs,” noted Thompson. “We also caution everyone to watch for markings in all areas and to ski and ride with due care.”
No further details are available at this time, as the RCMP and BC Coroners Service continue to investigate the death.
Red notes the last time a guest succumbed to injuries on the mountain was a cardiac arrest about six years ago.
