A mother is grappling with the painful memories of her daughter’s tragic loss following a recent avalanche in California’s Mammoth Mountains. Disturbing details about the young woman’s last moments have emerged.
Cole Murphy, a seasoned ski patroller at 30, died in a violent avalanche in December, tragically less than a year after Claire Murphy, 25, lost her life under similar circumstances.
Claire Murphy, who is not related to Cole, was found by her devastated mother, Lisa Apa, on Valentine’s Day last year. Claire was leaning against a fir tree, gazing into a snow-covered area that would ultimately bury her. “It truly breaks my heart to think she was stuck there,” Apa shared.
At the time of their deaths, both Claire and Cole were working as ski patrollers, clearing trails in a notoriously steep area called Avalanche Chute.
Claire was relatively new to the role, having only served on the ski patrol for a couple of months.
Following Cole’s death, Lisa Apa reached out to a senior patrol manager, expressing her anger that another ski patrol member had died. She had previously urged Mammoth officials to reevaluate their training and avalanche preparedness measures after her daughter’s passing.
As reported, Cole Murphy was buried during avalanche control activities on December 26 and, despite being rescued, he later died from his injuries.
A fellow patroller sustained serious leg injuries but survived. Reports indicate it took colleagues about 18 minutes to locate and dig out Cole. Unfortunately, chances of survival for avalanche victims decrease significantly after being buried for around 15 minutes.
Statistics indicate that 93% of avalanche victims can be successfully rescued if found within 15 minutes, but after that time, survival rates drop dramatically. After 45 minutes, only about 20% to 30% of victims remain alive.
This series of tragic incidents at one of California’s renowned ski areas has led to serious questions regarding safety protocols on stormy days. Recently, another skier died while attempting a steep run known as Dropout 2, which descends over 1,200 feet.
The president and COO of Mammoth Mountain, Eric Clark, stated that in response to Claire’s death, ski patrols were authorized to open terrain gradually following storms. After Cole’s death, new measures were introduced to give patrol officers more time to assess safety and the discretion to keep chairlifts closed.
According to Clark, the push to reopen the terrain isn’t from corporate influence but rather from skiers eager to enjoy fresh powder.
Investigations into both fatalities are being conducted by state workplace safety regulators, and officials at the resort have chosen not to comment further as the inquiries continue.
Performing avalanche control is a routine yet perilous aspect of mountain operations. Ski patrols typically employ handheld explosives and techniques like “ski cutting” to purposely trigger smaller slides before allowing skiers onto steep terrains.
Claire had recently realized her dream of becoming a ski patroller, while Cole had been a longstanding member of the Mammoth Lakes community, as noted by his family. Apa expressed her concern that younger patrol members might feel pressured to take unnecessary risks in stormy conditions due to external expectations and the presence of crowds.
She advised young patrolmen, “If you’re scared, don’t get off your snowmobile,” encouraging them to voice their concerns if they feel they’re in danger.
