Skier found dead at Utah resort after slopes were shut down for search and rescue
Search and rescue crews on Tuesday located the body of a skier reported missing earlier this week at a resort in Utah.
Solitude Mountain Resort, in the Big Cottonwood Canyon of the Wasatch Mountains about 30 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, reported a search began Monday on its mountain after a skier disappeared about noon.
During the search, the resort shut down Apex, Summit, and Sunrise slopes, it posted on Twitter.
“(The victim) was found at about 8:15 (a.m. Tuesday), just off of the Sensation ski run in some trees,” Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake spokesperson Melody Cutler told local outlet KSLTV.
The skier was identified as 37-year-old Devon O’Connell, of Cottonwood Heights, the outlet reported, who police said had been on the mountain skiing with a friend. Police said the friend left about 10:30 a.m. while the skier got on a ski lift for another run at about noon.
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The victim, who was wearing a helmet, was found with “injuries that suggest impact," Solitude Mountain Resort told NBC.
"The individual was found unresponsive within the ski area boundary near the run Sensation at 8:20 a.m." Solitude spokesperson Travis Holland told USA TODAY Wednesday afternoon. "Sadly, he was pronounced dead. We send our deepest condolences to the family."
The skiers official cause of death was not immediately known.
Police could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY Wednesday morning.
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A winter storm brought heavy snowfall in Utah and other parts of the West early this week, dumping up to 4 feet of snow in parts of Nevada and Idaho a fueling blizzard warnings in six other states.
About 13 inches of snow fell at Solitude Monday, according to its snowfall chart.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Skier found dead at Solitude Mountain Resort in Utah after search
