A tragic accident claimed the life of a Hunter Mountain employee on the mountain yesterday morning: 41-year-old Brian Mattice of Gilboa.
Police say Mattice slipped on ice and fell down a steep slope while working with snow-making equipment, and died on the scene.
From the New York State Police:
The New York State Police at Catskill report the accidental death of an employee of the Hunter Mountain Ski Resort in Hunter, N.Y. At approximately 8:50am on 01/18/2012 BRIAN MATTICE, age 41, of Bund Rd, Gilboa, N.Y., was working with snow making equipment alongside the “Milky Way” ski trail at Hunter Mountain Ski Resort. As MATTICE was working he slipped on ice and slid off the edge of the trail, sliding approximately 200 feet down a steep embankment striking a rock and a tree. Hunter Mountain Ski Patrol responded to the scene and assisted MATTICE, however he succumbed to his injuries. Mr. MATTICE was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital by Greene County Coroner John Guilino for an autopsy which is to be performed later today. At the time he fell Mr. MATTICE was wearing a helmet and did have “crampon” style foot gear attached to his boots.
Several local newspapers ran stories today:
The Daily Star: Hunter Mountain worker dies on job
The Daily Freeman: Hunter Mountain ski resort employee dies in fall
The Daily Mail: Hunter Mt. employee killed in accident
Daily Mail reporter W. T. Eckert spoke with the Greene County coroner, who said that the cause of death was likely severe head trauma.
“Severe head trauma was what we saw initially,” [John] Guilino said. “I’m suspecting that [the Albany Med medical examiner] is going to say the cause was severe head trauma. They will do a toxicology report, but there was no evidence of anything. I just think it was a terrible accident.”
