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Record year for ski deaths

Martin Fierro, a father, husband and outdoor enthusiast, was the 17th person killed at a Colorado ski resort this year. Still, resorts say the sport is safer now than 10 years ago.

By Julie Poppen, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 7, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Martin Fierro, of Lakewood, with 18-month-old daughter Rebeka.

Martin Fierro, of Lakewood, with 18-month-old daughter Rebeka.

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It's not the kind of record that Colorado ski resorts want to brag about. At the same time, they can't ignore it.

The death of 32-year-old Lakewood resident Martin Fierro on an intermediate run Saturday in Vail brought the number of people killed at Colorado ski resorts this season to 17 - breaking the record of 16 set in 2001-2002.

Jennifer Rudolph, spokeswoman for Colorado Ski Country USA, said Sunday the number is of concern but not a sign of a larger trend or reason to fear the slopes.

"There's nothing that can be drawn from that," she said. "There's no commonality or trends in the fatalities. There are no relationships to other numbers or statistics. It's tremendously unfortunate to say the least. But it's incidental, and unique, and very, very random."

Rudolph said ski resorts put a high priority on skier and snowboarder safety.

"The resorts always have safety as their No. 1 concern," Rudolph said. "The individual skier or snowboarder is responsible for their own safety ultimately."

Loryn Kasten, a spokeswoman for Purgatory Ski Resort, said skiers and boarders need to make safe choices not just when runs are icy or the snow is choppy, but also on blue-sky powder days. Purgatory logged one skier death this year.

"Our skier death was, unfortunately, due to a bad decision," Kasten said. "A local skier knew some out-of-bounds areas and decided to go into a closed area."

He skied off a cliff.

Husband, father 'taken too early'

In Saturday morning's incident, authorities said Fierro was wearing a helmet when he skied down the run In the Wuides in the Blue Sky Basin and crashed. It was the only fatality at Vail this year.

Maria Delgado said her husband was with Fierro at the time of the accident. She said he may have fallen in a tree well and hit a tree branch.

"He was one of best persons I've ever known," said Delgado, who moved here from Spain last year with her husband.

Fierro and his wife, Priscila Vargas Fierro, have a 13-month-old daughter.

"He was a great husband and wonderful father," Priscila Fierro said Sunday.

She said Martin Fierro loved to ski in the winter and Rollerblade in the summer as she rode her bicycle. He also enjoyed tennis and basketball.

"He was outgoing and happy," his wife said. "He had a very nice heart. He had a lot of goals. . . . He was taken too early."

One death occurred at Eldora Mountain Resort this season as well, resort spokesman Rob Linde said. Linde said details of the accident are unclear since the 46-year-old Florida man was found alone on a trail and there were no witnesses. He died of a head injury.

"Of course, we're concerned about it, but we feel as though skiing is a safe sport," Linde said. "We'll have 300,000 visits here this year. We haven't had a fatality in probably 10 years."

Linde said skiing is still safer than "driving down the highway" despite the element of risk inherent to the sport. "The element of risk is part of the fun of it, too," he said.

He said he doesn't think skiers or boarders are becoming more reckless.

"If anything, people are skiing more in control. The equipment is better. The grooming is better. Everything about the sport is better than it was 10 years ago.

"I think there are simply more people skiing. As a result, the odds increase as you have more people."

January, February skiers top 2007

Numbers released last month show that the state's 26 ski areas attracted more than 5.54 million visits in January and February, surpassing last year's numbers for those two months by nearly 7 percent.

But a dry spell early in the season may offset that gain, meaning that the overall number of visits this year may not end up exceeding last year's numbers.

AP contributed to this report.

Comments

  • April 7, 2008

    12:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    chaplainmike writes:

    If the same death toll was associated with elk hunting or upland bird hunting, the public outcry would be deafening. Ski resorts need to take a hard look at safety standards. I simply cannot figure why the ski resorts just shrug their shoulders and remind us that skiing is safer than traveling the highways. Those are statistics I will check out, but in the mean time, is there a dual standard of safety at work here?

  • April 7, 2008

    12:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    HolierThanThou writes:

    If skiing is too dangerous for you then stick with sports like croquette and shuffleboard. The only bone I might pick is that they keep saying that alpine skiing is safe. It's not and never has been. That's marketing for you.

    Almost any vigorous mountain activity has risks because of the gravity of the situation. Then there's the weather, which always claims a few of the unprepared every year. I realize that when I ski or hike in the wilderness that I might not return alive. I could be hit by lightning, fall of a cliff, trip and break my leg, be buried in an avalanche, pass out, freeze to death, or whatever. But I still hike and ski because I enjoy these things.

    The danger is worth the joy it adds to my life. If I get hurt or killed, there's no one to blame. If I die before I get so old that I can't hike anymore then I sure will miss those diaper years.

  • April 7, 2008

    2:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mareksvatos writes:

    Resorts do almost nothing to warn people of skiing danger. If resorts really cared about skiier safety, there'd be a lookout crew, or even a simple 10 min safety course requirement. Current ski patrol staff is underwhelming considering the patronage. They should have eyes on every square inch of property - like a swimming pool. But that wouldn't be cost-effective...

  • April 7, 2008

    2:42 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    The_Punnisher writes:

    The person with the old fart stereotypes had better watch his step.

    If you don't take the necessary precautions, a snowboarder or skier will wear those Depends a lot sooner....

    Racing cars were a lot more deadlier before the racing industry added more TRAINING and SAFETY EQUIPMENT. Yeah, we hated adding roll cages, fuel cells and Hahn devices ( more weight ), but the fact that although the car may come apart, the driver won't has changed some attitudes.

    Maybe you snowboarders and skiers with a TUDE should think about that. Ski areas should also take note and do something for your $$$ you get...

  • April 7, 2008

    2:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mark79trans writes:

    I think every tree needs a warning label reminding people of the danger. "Hitting this tree while going too fast down a hill of ice may result in injury or death!"

  • April 7, 2008

    3:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    frontpage writes:

    Ski equipment technology and the "new" skier mentality has made this a problem.
    New ski technology may result in fewer twisted ankles/knees legs, but has made marginal skiers fearless and feeling bullit proof when racing down a blue intermediate at 30 mile/hr.
    also I noticed that skiers don't ski in groups like was customary 30 years ago. what i mean is that I see (and experianced) skiing with groups of people (2-8) in which they don't know to slow down and interact with their fellow skiers. It seems there is just an effort for the individual to proove to him or her self their conquering of the hill. I was playing "tag (your it)" a couple of weeks ago with my kids and I think people out there thought we were nuts. Actually my kids ski ability improved immediatly as a result. They laughed more and realized that skiing was a lot more than technically working your way down the hill. I think the boarders (with their supposed attitude issuesand all) do a better job of this than skiers. and may be a reason for their lower injury rates.

  • April 7, 2008

    3:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    KP13 writes:

    This is hilarious!

    You can either ski in your abilities or outside of them.!

    learn to ride, and use your head or pay the price! Its a complete joke to hold a ski area responsible for somebody who is taking the risk, on their own, by straping on one or two pieces of wood to slide on a slick surface.

    i think the goverment should force us all to wear personal bubbles so nobody is responsible for any accidents, and we can all have are own lolly pops and care bears....yeah mommy!

  • April 7, 2008

    3:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TheDenverB writes:

    how about some personal responsibility for once people? skiing has and always will be dangerous. EVERYONE should know this and it is MOST DEFINITELY not the resorts job to tell them that.

    really folks, we nanny ourselves enough in this country. it's time people own up and realize that their own stupidity can cause their own death.

    the ski areas are in no way negligent if you can't ski and you hit a tree that has been standing for longer than the resort.

    if it was neglected ski apparatus that caused the death, then i could see the outcry. but really folks, we need to move to a more european model of the ski industry and put the liability on the actual person skiing. not the resort.

    again, YOU decide to ski. NOT the resorts.

    Vail resorts didn't put those boots and skis on that dad, he did. and if you can't tell that careening down a mountain on plastic and metal doesn't have a degree of danger, then you probably deserve to hit the tree. i fully recognize that this is a growing sport, and more and more people get into it which increases the numbers of idiots...

    but again, it's no one's fault but your own if you can't ski and you get in over your head.

    (and what is really funny to me is i see the same folks complaining in this story that not enough is being done taht are complaining about how much our government nanny's us in other areas.

  • April 7, 2008

    5:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mtnsrfer writes:

    What do you want them to do, cut down all the trees? There might be a few more avalanches.

    I remember hearing of atleast a few of them wearing a helmet. I don't think a helmet is going to help on a thirty foot drop. I don't wear a helmet to save my life if I hit a tree, it won't. I wear a helmet incase I hit the "back" of my head on the ice. Plus, it has speakers in it and keeps my head much warmer!

    I will be responsible for my own life, thanks.

  • April 7, 2008

    6:01 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    The_Punnisher writes:

    " I will be responsible for my own life, thanks. "

    Tell that to the people who have to change your diapers after your head injury...

    You also need your own MOUNTAIN to be able to board or ski SOLO. You are only RENTING the one the ski resort has. You are also responsible for your behavior and actions around OTHERS who rent it too. You also have to follow those pesky RULES for SHARING that mountain.

    You want more freedom? PAY FOR IT!!

  • April 7, 2008

    6:28 p.m.

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    mtnsrfer writes:

    Punisher, I hate to break it to you, but many of those resorts are in the national forest. It is mine!

    If you have never riden with me, how would you know if I follow the RULES for SHARING the mountian. I have never run into anyone else on the mountain! Maybe if your so scared, you should take a cass. I don't ride out of control so I'm not worried about it.

  • April 7, 2008

    6:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mtnsrfer writes:

    I don't rent the mountian, I rent the chair. I can walk right up the slope if I don't want to pay for it. It's called a "National forest" for a reason. The forest belongs to the our nation and all her citizens.

    What is with your obssesion with diappers? Perhaps you should wear one to your safety class.

  • April 7, 2008

    6:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    The_Punnisher writes:

    PW3ND!!!

  • April 7, 2008

    8:44 p.m.

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    JIG writes:

    To DenverB....
    Ski resorts have a responsibility to adequately warn their patrons regarding the danger of skiing, and provide them with information to keep them safe. Many people who visit ski slopes have very little experience, or just enough to make them dangerous.

    To suggest that this young, vibrant, husband, father, somehow deserved what he got for being careless is sick. You have no respect and you should be ashamed of yourself. When you injure yourself someday, and someone has to change YOUR diapers, I hope you will regret your heartless comment.

  • April 7, 2008

    9:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mtnsrfer writes:

    There is a warning, you just have to bring a magnifying glass with you. It is on the back of your pass or ticket. I am all for taking a lesson if you lack experience. I have been on a board for 12 years and on slopes for 22 years. I often consider taking a class just to advance my ability, but don't like the prices. Although it would be cool to competely school my riding buddy.

  • April 7, 2008

    10:56 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    cmgreenw writes:

    You all are tools. Way more people die driving to and from ski resorts. Print those statistics. How many people die from heart attacks while visiting ski towns? Probably more than die while skiing. Why can't Colorado be more like Vermont? Live free or die!!!!!!!!!!!

  • April 8, 2008

    1:33 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    mtnsrfer writes:

    cmgeenw, you are a troll. Go hit a tree in Vermont!

  • April 8, 2008

    1:53 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    longpasttime writes:

    The Denver B has it exactly right! Personal responsibility is the key to this - once we start taking responsibility for ourselves and our own safety and lives things will fall into place. Ski within your own PERSONAL limits and you won't careen into a tree which in all probability has been there longer than the ski resort. Or would you have the nanny state bubble wrap everything for you and put automatic brakes on your skis if you exceed 5 miles per hour? Every thing we do in life, including entertainment, entails risk. If you are not willing to accept that risk, stay home, safe in your little cocoons and let the rest of us enjoy living! Keep the nanny state OUT of our lives, for goodness sakes!

  • April 8, 2008

    5:59 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JIG writes:

    I don't disagree that personal responsibility, skiing within ones own personal limits would probably have prevented the deaths.

    However, to suggest to this man DESERVED to hit a tree (and subsequently DIE) because he may have been careless is asinine. That comment comes from a person that deserves the same fate.

  • April 8, 2008

    6:08 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JIG writes:

    Martin was a friend of mine. I was forwarded this article and happened to scroll down to all these comments and couldn't help but share my feelings. I am sickened by the insensitivity. This was a REAL person, not a statistic. Martin had everything to live for and loved life, and certainly would never have intentionally or unintentionally put himself in a life threatening situation. It was a terrible accident. So what's the harm in providing some safety information for inexperienced skiiers? If they are receptive...GREAT! If not, then at least there was an attempt. What is the harm in that?

  • April 8, 2008

    6:13 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    JIG writes:

    In the healthcare industry, I may have an opportunity to care for one of you that has made such sick comments about this man. And when I'm rolling you over to wipe your a**, I will tell you that you DESERVED what you got.

  • April 28, 2008

    6:55 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    davroses writes:

    THIS IS NOT THE VENUE TO DISCUSS WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE IN REGARD TO WHO'S AT FAULT IN THE FATALITY OF MARTIN'S UNTIMELY DEATH! FAMILY AND FRIENDS DO READ THESE RESPONSES AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY EACH OF US HAVE IN WHAT WE WRITE ABOUT THIS ARTICLE. AS MENTIONED IN THE ARTILE, THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT AND MARTIN WAS A RESPONSIBLE SKIER AND FATHER. PLEASE, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS BEFORE ADDING A RESPONSE TO THIS ARTICLE. It's unfortunate that you were unable to meet this wonderful father, son and friend.