Michael North, the 43-year-old New Canaan man who died last Thursday, Feb. 23, while snowboarding at Northstar California Resort, likely succumbed after falling into a tree well.
According to the Sierra Sun newspaper, conditions that day were dangerous, as the resort had received 11 inches of snow the previous night, making for a 7-day snowfall total of 94 inches, or 7.83 feet.
“It has been years since California has had deep snow like this season, and (Thursday’s incident) serves as a poignant reminder — don’t ski or board alone,” Dave Jasper, who was skiing at the resort that day, told the Sun in an email. “The deep natural snow means deep wells around every tree, and falling head-down into a tree well can quickly result in a tragic outcome.”
It has not been confirmed that North was snowboarding solo.
“We found him [North] on his back, in a tree well, unconscious,” Jasper told the Sun. “Together, we couldn’t pull him out, so we kept shouting until another man arrived, and the three of us managed to pull him out.
“For almost a decade, we have seen moderate snowfall, so I think most of us have forgotten about the risks of heavy snow. This served as a powerful reminder for me.”
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