December 23, 2009 in Idaho

Teenage skier who died at Schweitzer identified

The Spokesman-Review
 
Tags:Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort

A 15-year-old skier who died Tuesday in an accident at Schweitzer Mountain Ski Resort was identified today by the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office.

William C. Johnson died after striking a tree and falling into a tree well while skiing in a heavily treed area of the resort, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Records show Johnson last scanned his lift pass on the mountain at 11:25 a.m. Tuesday. He was found stuck in a tree well just before noon by a group of snowboarders, who extracted him from the well before going for help, officials said.

Schweitzer Mountain Ski Patrol arrived by 12:30 p.m. and began performing CPR. Johnson was taken to the resort’s first aid area in the main lodge, where the teen was pronounced dead by a doctor from Bonner General Hospital about 1:25 p.m.

Johnson was a sophomore at Sandpoint High School, the sheriff’s office said.

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Four comments on this story so far. Add yours!

  • PhiltheBibliophil on December 22 at 8:20 p.m.

    Boy, not a Merry Christmas for this poor family. Condolences!

  • elcee1987 on December 22 at 9:02 p.m.

    Oh how horrible for his family.

    My heart about stopped when I saw the title of this article, as I have a brother and friends who snowboard frequently there. Please, snowboarders and skiers, don’t hit the slopes alone! Who knows if he could have been saved if he had been tended to earlier.

  • chicaa17 on December 23 at 4:42 p.m.

    hes a friend of my cousins who were also skiing there. and he was skiing in a group, not alone. just horrid freak accident :(

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