Jackson Hole avalanche patroller dies
Sunday January 10, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

Mark Wolling was swept over a cliff and buried under 2m of snow last Wednesday while clearing the threat of avalanches before the slopes opened for the general public.

Colleagues dug him out and carried out CPR on the mountainside.  He was flown by helicopter to hospital in Idaho where he was in a serious condition ever since.

A statement of the resort's web site has confirmed the news of his death.

"Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is extremely saddened to confirm the news that veteran ski patroller Mark "Big Wally" Wolling has passed away.

Big Wally had been an employee of JHMR since 1978 and an invaluable member of the Ski Patrol since 1989. As one of the longer tenured patrollers, his experience, camaraderie, team spirit and sheer size were legendary in Jackson Hole and he will be deeply missed for a very long time.

Widely loved by colleagues at JHMR and across the ski industry, his passing leaves us with an enormous sense of loss," commented Jerry Blann, President of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

"We send our thoughts and prayers to his family and friends at this tragic time."

Accidents among mountain professionals a relatively uncommon though recently in Europe a number have died. 

A doctor from the Swiss rescue services was killed in the single worst accident in Switzerland in over a decade earlier this month.  He was hit by a secondary avalanche after helping with an incident in the canton of Bern.

It is the first time a member of the Swiss Rescue Services, REGA, has been killed while at work and an investigation has opened into the incident.

For more details see here.

Ski patrolMeanwhile an experienced mountain guide in Les Arcs, France,  died recently when he and his 2 clients were hit by a massive avalanche.

All were wearing ABS avalanche bags and had all the correct safety equipment.

Just a few days later a mountain guide and a client were hit by an avalanche near Verbier in Switzerland.  The guide was rescued and survived, but the client died. 

The guide was taken to hospital suffering from severe hypothermia.

Last winter in New Zealand there were also an incident of a mountain guides dieing while heliskiing with clients.

While it's reported today, Sunday, that 5 people have been killed by an avalanche in Russia.

A group of novice climbers and their instructor were hit in the Caucasus mountains. 

The instructor and 4 clients died.  4 others survived.

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