Snowboarder without Ski Helmet dies at Bristol Mountain
A 48-year-old Penfield man died last night in a snowboarding accident at Bristol Mountain in Ontario County.
Ontario County sheriff’s deputies said it appeared that Elliott A. Eklund struck a tree on the south side of the Shooting Star trail, while snowboarding down the mountain last night. Eklund was found unresponsive and unconscious at the base of a small tree by a passing skier about 7:30 p.m., said Lt. Bill Gallagher of the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office.
Bristol Mountain Marketing Director Drew Broderick said no one witnessed the accident, which occurred on the novice section of the Shooting Star trail. Although Shooting Star has a halfpipe and terrain park, Broderick said Eklund was located on the bottom part of the trail about halfway down the mountain.
Gallagher said Eklund suffered a severe head injury, though a specific cause of death was not yet determined. It was not immediately known when Eklund struck the tree or how long he was on the ground before he was spotted.
Eklund was not wearing a ski helmet at the time of the accident. Ski helmets are not required on the slopes in New York, but are available for purchase or rental at Bristol, should a patron opt to use a helmet, Broderick said.
Bristol Mountain’s ski patrol took Eklund off the mountain by sled. He was treated at the scene by members of the ski patrol and by Canandaigua Ambulance’s advanced life support team.
Eklund was taken F.F. Thompson Hospital in Canandaigua, where he died at 8:20 p.m. His body was taken to Geneva General Hospital for an autopsy, which is expected to be completed later.
Eklund was a Xerox employee for the past 16 years, said Xerox spokesman Bill McKee. He was a research scientist and technical area manager, working on print head technology in the Xerox Research Center Webster, which is part of the Xerox Innovation Group. McKee said Eklund holds 19 patents.
Broderick said Eklund is a season pass holder at Bristol and typically snowboarded at the mountain several times each week.
Eklund was at Bristol yesterday with two of his children. Gallagher said it appeared that Eklund was skiing alone when he struck the tree. Deputies located his two sons waiting for Eklund in Bristol’s Sunset Lodge at the base of the mountain.
Until this week, the most recent fatal accident on the mountain was in February 2001.
“It’s hard and we take this to heart,” Broderick said. “It’s one of those things you hope you never have to encounter. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Deputies and Bristol Mountain personnel are investigating the incident.
Broderick said she was not sure how many people were on the mountain at the time of the accident. She noted that part of the Shooting Star trail was temporarily closed last night. All but one of Bristol’s 33 trails are open this week.
SkiHelmets.org Comment:
Bristol Mountain Does Address Ski Helmets Specifically on their Website with this statement:
“While Bristol Mountain does not currently mandate that guests wear helmets, we do feel it is very important that parents, skiers, and snowboarders educate themselves about the benefits and limitations of helmets. With the growing popularity of helmets, many parents are considering a helmet for their child. The National Ski Areas Association, together with the help of many others in the ski industry, has developed a website to help educate parents about the benefits and limitations of helmets. Ultimately, the choice of whether or not to wear a helmet is one of personal or parental preference. View information on getting your kids to wear helmets at Lids On Kids. Associates in our Bristol Ski & Sport shop can also answer questions you may have on helmets and help you get fitted properly.
Bristol Mountain puts a high priority on providing you with a fun and safe mountain experience. We take your safety seriously and would like to remind you of a few things that we hope will make your day on the mountain more enjoyable. “
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