Man dies after crashing into tree during a skiing accident at China Peak resort

Update, Sunday: Santa Barbara County firefighter died in China Peak Mountain Resort skiing accident

Original story

A man died during a weekend skiing accident at China Peak Mountain Resort, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.

The man, who was 34 years old, slammed into a tree while headed downhill Saturday afternoon and “died immediately from his injuries” at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office stated.

It was not clear what factors played a role into the accident, sheriff’s added.

The identity of the skier was immediately released.

The skiing death occurred about three weeks since the resort opened for the season as fresh powder welcomed back Valley skiers and snowboarders.

A message left Saturday night for Tim Cohee, CEO and managing partner at China Peak, was not immediately returned.

This is the first death at China Peak in the past four years.

In 2018, Fresno snowboarder Blake Smith fell head-first into deep snow at the mountain resort and suffocated before he could get out.

A similar type of death happened in 2012 when 30-year-old Kynan Stanners of Bass Lake died after falling head-first into snow while snowboarding.

This story was originally published January 8, 2022 at 6:38 PM.