13-year-old dies in snowboarding crash at Mt. Bachelor
Published 3:57 pm Wednesday, April 9, 2025
- Mount Bachelor is visible from Century Drive in March 2016. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin file)
A 13-year-old boy died Wednesday morning after crashing into a tree while snowboarding at Mt. Bachelor ski area.
The boy, whose name has not yet been released, is from Anacortes, Washington.
The boy was found unresponsive by Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol about 400 yards uphill from Sunrise Lodge, in a wooded area near Sunrise chairlift. Ski patrol immediately started life-saving efforts and transported the boy to Mt. Bachelor’s on-site medical facility.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Bend Fire & Rescue and AirLink responded to the scene at approximately 11 a.m. Despite the efforts of ski patrol and other first-responders, the boy died as a result of his injuries. The boy was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.
“Right now, we’re just taking care of the family and all of our first responders that had to be part of this, because it’s obviously a lot harder for people when we’re working with kids, and especially something as tragic as this. So right now we’re taking care of the family and all of our first responders,” Deschutes County Sheriff Kent van der Kamp told The Bulletin. “I am incredibly grateful to the ski patrol and emergency personnel who responded with urgency and compassion.”
According to van der Kamp, the youth was skiing with a large family group at the time. Family members contacted ski patrol and reported the boy missing shortly after everyone else from the group arrived at the bottom of the hill.
The youth’s death marks the second fatality this year at Mt. Bachelor. Benjamin Shelkey, 34, died March 17 after falling into a tree well.