Post Falls Man Dies At Silver Mountain

A 24-year-old Post Falls man died Saturday at Silver Mountain, apparently of natural causes, a Shoshone County sheriff’s deputy said.

Donald Ells was skiing with his brother-in-law at the North Idaho resort, near Kellogg, Deputy Bob Tillman said.

Ells collapsed at about 3 p.m. after getting on a chairlift high up the mountain. He fell a short distance into the snow and appeared to be suffering from cardiac arrest, Tillman said.

Members of the Silver Mountain ski patrol administered CPR and transported Ells to the upper gondola base.

Two doctors worked on Ells for about 45 minutes but couldn’t revive him, Tillman said.

“It appears to be natural (causes) right now, but we’re investigating,” the deputy said of the death.

, DataTimes