The child injured skiing Saturday at Mt. Bachelor has died, according to two fundraising websites created to help his family and a Facebook post by the school he attended in Tacoma, Washington.
Brecken Boice, 8, was airlifted from the summit sometime after 2:20 p.m. after being injured in an accident. Few details of the accident have been released, but Mt. Bachelor officials said he was wearing a helmet.
“It is with a heavy heart that I send you the tragic news of the death of one of our fourth graders,” wrote Chris Gavin, principal of St. Patrick Catholic Church & School, on the school’s Facebook page. “Brecken Boice was in a terrible accident on Saturday and did not survive the brain surgery. Brecken was a beautiful boy. I simply don’t have the wisdom to understand his passing nor the words to comfort his parents.”
A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for Brecken’s family.
“On a family ski trip, Brecken was suddenly taken from this world when he was in a tragic accident,” reads the page. “Brecken brought so much light into the lives of those around him and we are so very sad his family is hurting.”
His is the fourth death at Mt. Bachelor since 2018. Two people died in tree wells on the same day in 2018. A third person died in a tree well in March 2019.
The estates of the two people killed in 2018 are suing Mt. Bachelor for $15 million each.
John McLeod, the ski area’s president and general manager, and Leigh Capozzi, its spokesperson, released details Tuesday about the boy’s death.
“The 8 year-old was a skier and no, this was not related to a tree well and it will not impact the rest of the season,” Capozzi said in an email to The Bulletin. “Only portions, including the summit, of Mt. Bachelor terrain were closed on Sunday due to wind hold.”
Mt. Bachelor also released a statement Tuesday after learning the boy had died.
“Our entire team at Mt. Bachelor is deeply saddened by our guest’s tragic passing and offers our deepest condolences and support to his family and friends,” the statement reads.
Tristan Deathridge, a 22-year-old skier from Bend, was at Mt. Bachelor on Saturday. Deathridge, who was also at Mt. Bachelor on Tuesday, said conditions are worst near the top of the mountain.
“Conditions are super firm and I’d say icy for the past two weeks,” he said. “The precip we have been getting has been rain and with the freeze thaw there’s been nothing new in weeks.”
When asked about conditions on the slopes Saturday, Mt. Bachelor issued this statement:
“When considering opening terrain at Mt. Bachelor, safety is our number one priority. Several variables are considered in terrain management decisions. These include analysis of snow levels on different aspects of the 360-degree mountain, visibility, and the inherent conditions of the terrain. Only after these factors have been carefully assessed will terrain management decisions be made by the Mt. Bachelor team. Warnings and guest reminders are provided on the Mt. Bachelor conditions page and at the bottom and top of chairlifts and at the top of runs, where applicable.”
-- Garrett Andrews, Bend Bulletin
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January 20, 2021 at 09:30AM
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8-year-old injured while skiing at Mt. Bachelor dies - OregonLive
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