MONO COUNTY, Calif. – Mammoth Mountain has announced that one of its ski patrollers injured in Friday’s avalanche at the resort has died.
“With profound sorrow, Mammoth Mountain confirms that the Ski Patroller who was critically injured and hospitalized Friday has died from his injuries. Cole Murphy, 30, was an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career,” Mammoth stated on social media.
Murphy and one other ski patroller were doing avalanche mitigation work at approximately 7:30 a.m. on December 26 when an avalanche occurred on Lincoln Mountain. They were both caught in the slide, with Murphy being transported out of the area immediately for medical attention, and the second person was transported to Mammoth Hospital, where they had surgery and are recovering, according to the resort.
Due to the heavy snowfall from the Christmas Day storm and the continued threat of avalanches, Mammoth Mountain was closed Friday and Saturday.
“With hearts that are aching and full of love, we share the passing of our beloved son, Cole Murphy, who was involved in a tragic accident at Mammoth Mountain,” said his family in a message shared by Mammoth. “The mountain was where Cole felt most alive. It was his place of purpose, his community, and his second home. Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him—it was a calling. To his ski patrol family, the ones who worked beside him, had confidence in him, and shared a bond shaped by snow, service, and unwavering camaraderie: thank you for loving him as one of your own. That brotherhood meant more to him than words can ever express.”
Murphy was the second ski patroller at Mammoth to die while doing avalanche mitigation work in 2025. In February, Claire Murphy, 25, also died from injuries sustained from an avalanche during mitigation work.
On December 27, 2025, at 11 a.m., the Mono County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team responded to the area of Latopie Lake near Bridgeport, where snowmobilers triggered an avalanche, burying two of their group. One was airlifted to Renown in Reno after being fully buried, and the other had injuries. There has been no update to their injuries.
