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Oceanside skier dies after being found unconscious in Mammoth Mountain snow

The man was found upside down in the snow by other guests. Ski patrol started CPR and the victim died at a local hospital. Mammoth has seen more than 7 feet of snow.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A man from Oceanside died Thursday afternoon after he was discovered upside down in the snow and without a pulse, according to authorities.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol was dispatched to the Redwing area of the mountain after hearing reports of a male skier upside down in deep snow.

According to reports, guests on the scene started to uncover the skier. Once patrol showed up, they started CPR and administered automated external defibrillator shocks because the man did not have a pulse.

The skier was taken to Mammoth Hospital where authorities say he was pronounced dead.

The Mono County Sheriff's department told News 8 that the decedent was 52-years old and from Oceanside, and the exact cause of the accident is being investigated by the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.

As of Friday evening, Mammoth Mountain is reporting 95 inches of snow at the base and 125 inches of snow at the summit. 

A so-called monster storm is slamming the Sierra Nevada, bringing an average of nine feet of snow.

Mammoth Mountain posted on Instagram that a slide as triggered in a closed area of the mountain. The powder knocked up from the snowslide was strong enough to knock a communication line off the cable on the closed Canyon Express.

The caption on the Instagram post said the following:

  • "This storm is another reminder about the power of Mother Nature. Conditions are currently dangerous. It will take considerable time and extreme caution and care by our team to dig out and prepare the mountain to open the next few days. Please be aware that lifts and facilities will be significantly delayed in the coming days. Snow Immersion Suffocation (SIS) danger will remain a threat through the weekend – ski and ride with a buddy and keep your buddy in sight at all times."

The ski resort said it's expecting a high-traffic weekend and that lift tickets for Saturday are already sold out.

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