Teen dies in ski accident at Heavenly Mountain Resort

BY Jeff Munson and Elaine Goodman
Nevada Appeal News Service
March 21, 2008, 4:01 AM

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A 14-year-old girl died Thursday afternoon following a ski accident at Heavenly Mountain Resort, authorities said.

Emily Clothier, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., apparently died from blunt force trauma after hitting a tree, although an exact cause of death was pending, said El Dorado County Sheriff's Lt. Les Lovell.

The girl was wearing a helmet and was practice skiing with the Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation, Lovell said. She was found by her coach who was skiing about one minute behind her, he added.

The accident happened on the Nevada side of the ski resort at about 1:30 p.m., Heavenly officials confirmed.

"Heavenly ski patrol personnel were in the area and on the scene almost immediately," said Heavenly spokesman Russ Pecoraro. "Ski patrol transported her to Heavenly's Boulder base."

The girl received immediate medical treatment at the scene and then was taken by CALSTAR helicopter to Barton Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 2:39 p.m., Lovell said.

The accident occurred in the ski resort's Stagecoach area. The girl skied off the Stagecoach trail and into a wooded area, according to Heavenly. The resort has begun a routine investigation of the accident, Pecoraro said.

The accident is also under investigation by the El Dorado Sheriff's Coroner's Unit.