Overview
- Mammoth Mountain confirmed Sunday that Cole Murphy died from injuries suffered in a Dec. 26 slide while conducting pre-opening avalanche control on Lincoln Mountain around 7:30 a.m.
- A second patroller caught in the same slide underwent surgery for non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering, according to resort updates.
- The Eastern Sierra received more than five feet of snow in days, with the avalanche center cautioning that natural and human-triggered avalanches were likely.
- Mammoth closed Friday and Saturday for assessment after the in-bounds avalanche and reopened to the public on Sunday.
- Murphy’s death is the resort’s second patrol fatality in 2025 after Claire Murphy died in February during similar work, and his family said he is survived by his partner, Hayley.