Page 13 - Flathead Beacon // 1.15.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS
JANUARY 15, 2014 | 13

Skier Dies in Big Mountain Tree Well

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Secure

54-year-old Douglas
Spring becomes third
the
person to die in a tree
PROTECTION
well in three years

By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
and

The 54-year-old skier from Califor-
nia who died Jan. 11 after falling head

irst into a tree well at Whiteish Moun-
tain Resort was identiied as Douglas
Spring, according to Flathead County SECURITY
Undersherif Dave Leib.
Spring was skiing with his son on
the north side of the mountain in an of-
piste, forested area between the Gray
Wolf and Bighorn ski runs, according to

Whiteish Mountain Resort spokesper-
son Riley Polumbus.
The son arrived at the bottom of the
ski run and realized his father was no Tree well warning sign at Whiteish Mountain Resort.NIC HEADLEE | FLATHEAD BEACON
in banking with
longer with him. He returned to the top
of the run and retraced the route when
he discovered his father’s skis protrud- “RIGHT NOW, I WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO WHAT IS CURRENTLY a local bank

ing from the tree well, according to Leib. OUT THERE AND WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING FOR SEVERAL YEARS BE-
The man was upside down with his head that knos you.
near the base of the tree.
CAUSE IT’S SUBSTANTIAL AND PEOPLE CONTINUE TO MISS THE SIGNS.”
The fatality marks the third death
involving tree wells in three years, and Riley Polumbus, Whiteish Mountain Resort spokesperson
occurred just over two weeks after the
family of one of the victims, a 16-year-
old foreign exchange student from Ger-

many who was attending high school in dy and felt deeply by the entire White- Mountain. His mother, Patricia Birk-
Columbia Falls, iled a federal lawsuit ish Mountain Resort community. Our hold-Waschle, father Raimund Waschle
against the resort. The complaint al- thoughts and prayers are with the fam- and brother Philip Waschle are listed
leges gross negligence against the ski ily and friends afected by this tragedy,” as plaintifs in the lawsuit, which seeks
resort, as well as the student’s host fam- the statement read.
damages and compensation for their
ily and the agency that arranged his It continued: “Among other hazards, loss, as well as medical and other ex-
visit. The lawsuit says the resort failed tree wells and deep snow are inherent penses.
to warn skiers and snowboarders of the risks of skiing and snowboarding. In- The wrongful death lawsuit lists as

dangers presented by tree wells.
formation about these and other haz- defendants Winter Sports Inc., doing
Polumbus said the mountain’s web- ards have been and will continue to be business as Whiteish Mountain Resort;
site, skiwhiteish.com, details the risks available on our website skiwhiteish. World Experience, doing business as
associated with tree wells and explains com and posted on signage throughout World Experience Teenage Student Ex-
what to do if a skier or snowboarder falls the resort on a daily basis. An excellent change; and Fred and Lynne Vanhorn,
into one. A reader-board at the base of resource for learning more about tree the host family.
Chair 1 also warns of the hazards on wells and deep snow safety is the web- The lawsuit also references the

powder days.
site deepsnowsafety.org, which can be death 10 days later of 29-year-old snow-
Several warning signs, including linked to from the tree well page of our boarder Scott Allen Meyer, an experi-
two posted at the summit and near T- website.”
enced rider who died under similar cir-
bar 2, where two tree well fatalities oc- Polumbus said the conditions were cumstances in a nearby tree well.
IDAHO STREET BANK
curred within 10 days of each other dur- foggy on Jan. 11, when Spring died. Tree well deaths are often charac- 233 E Idaho St.
ing the 2010-2011 season, also explain There had been about ive inches of terized as Snow Immersion Sufocation
the hazards of tree wells — large con- snow overnight and an additional two fatalities.
Kalispell, MT 59901
cealed pockets of loose, unpacked snow inches in the hours before the chairlifts The same safety precautions people 755-4271

that form around the bases of trees.
started running. It was also windy, with use when venturing into avalanche ter-
Polumbus said resort administra- blowing snow, and the temperatures rain should be considered when ski-
tors are considering whether other mea- were between 26 and 28 degrees.
ing of-piste, Polumbus said, including
sures are needed to warn skiers of the An autopsy to determine the cause the use of beacons, shovels and probes.
potential hazards of tree wells.
of Spring’s death was conducted Jan. 13 Most importantly, she added, ski with a
“We have been discussing that and but the results were not available.
partner always.
MERIDIAN ROAD BANK
we will continue to look into what else Spring’s death reverberated Tree well fatalities remain relatively
552 N Meridian Rd.
we can do,” she said.
throughout the ski community last rare. On average, 38 people die in ski- Kalispell, MT 59901
“Right now, I want to draw attention weekend, particularly because the un- ing-related accidents each year in the 755-5432
to what is currently out there and what sung hazard of tree wells recently made United States, with causes ranging from
we have been doing for several years be- headlines after the student’s family iled head trauma (most frequent) to sufoca-
cause it’s substantial and people contin- suit.
tion, according to the National Ski Ar- A Locally Owned,
ue to miss the signs.”
The federal complaint, iled on eas Association. That compares to just Independent Community
In a statement released Jan. 13, re- Christmas Eve in U.S. District Court in 3.3 tree well-related deaths per winter Bank Since 1974
sort oicials expressed condolences to Missoula, seeks damages for the death since 1990.

the family of the victim.
of Niclas Waschle, who fell while ski- www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
[email protected]
www.ThreeRiversBankMontana.com
“Any death at our resort is a trage-
ing alone near the T-bar 2 ski lift on Big