The man was skiing toward the lift line on Chair Two when he became airborne over a small rise on the cat track and came down on hard-packed snow, said Ruth Wooding, the Bitterroot National Forest's Sula District Ranger.
“He did what they call a face-plant,” she said.
“He told his friend he didn't feel good and asked him to rub his back,” Wooding said. “Then he doubled over and collapsed.”
A physician and two emergency medical technicians performed CPR all the way to Marcus Daly Hospital, she said.
The man was pronounced dead upon arrival. The Ravalli County deputy coroner determined the skier died from internal injuries caused by the fall.
The man may have severed his coronary artery, Wooding said.
The man's friend later told officials that he was impressed by the ski area's response to the accident.
“He said they couldn't have done anything more,” Wooding said. “They really do have an amazing safety record. This was pretty devastating for them.”
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