MAMMOTH, CALIF. — A skier who suffered a deadly fall on a dangerous Mammoth Mountain ski run has been identified.
Robert Carroll, a 40-year-old from California died on the mountain last week, according to the Mono County Sheriff’s Department. Carroll was attempting to go down Dropout Chute 2, a notorious trail known as one of the steepest in California when he lost control.
“Rob loved to travel and he was always up for adventures,” Carroll’s friend, Matt Weil, told The California Post. Weil said all of Carroll’s friends called him “Rob.”
Carroll has been identified as the man who died in a horrific fall on Mammoth Mountain. Robert Carroll“He has traveled all over the world. He has climbed El Capitan in Yosemite, has taken multiple rafting trips down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon but most of all he loved being with his friends and being part of their daily lives,” Weil added.
“Rob was an important and larger than life presence to anyone he came in contact with and he will forever be in our hearts.”
Weil spoke to Carroll Wednesday, just one day before he died, and said “he seemed happy like he always was.”
Dropout Chute 2 is one of the steepest runs at the resort. @arjunski / YouTubeA terrifying account of the accident was posted to Reddit by a user describing Carroll’s deadly fall as the “worst thing” they had ever seen on the mountain.
“Looked like he lost skis high in deep moguls on the chutes – maybe 15 yards from drop. Couldn’t tell if he had a helmet. Was sliding headfirst downhill and head hit a rock,” the post said.
Carroll was an avid skier, making several trips to Mammoth over the years. Obtained by CA Post
A Reddit account posted details of Carroll’s horrific fall. Bloomberg via Getty Images“He then slid while unconscious about another 150 yards down the trail leaving blood trail the entire way while the person he was skiing with was crying out and trying to catch up to jump on him to stop the slide.”
Carroll’s social media profile indicated he was an avid adventurer. Robert Carroll
Carroll’s death marked the fourth on Mammoth this winter. Robert CarrollCarroll was an avid skier and had been going up to Mammoth “for years” according to Weil, often combining his love of climbing and skiing by scaling mountains and skiing down them.
“He’s an adventurer, he always wore a helmet. He was getting his pilot’s license. He always checked his gear. He was always safety first … He took these adventures seriously and he knew they carried risk. He was not a risk taker. He was a lover of adventure … He just enjoyed being outside,” Weil said.
Carroll also understood the importance of safety during his climbs and ski trips, a friend said. Obtained by CA Post
Carroll is the fourth person to die on Mammoth this winter. Obtained by CA Post“He lived his life in a very full way. If he was still here he’d want people to still live their lives.”
Carroll’s death is the fourth on Mammoth this winter. A snowboarded died on Climax Bowl in December, a skier died in an avalanche in January on Cornice Bowl and another died after they lost control on Devil’s Slide in January.
Mammoth gets an estimated 400 inches of snow per year, with a season that sometimes stretches to July.
