A 20-year-old skier fell 600 feet to her death at Tuckerman Ravine on New Hampshire’s Mount Washington on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
The United States Forest Service reported that Madison Saltsburg fell down the ravine and died, while two other skiers sustained serious injuries after falling and crashing into rocks and ice, according to the AP.
Tuckerman Ravine contains a steep bowl that has been a popular spot for adventurous skiers looking for greater challenges than those presented at the state’s conventional ski areas, the AP reported. (RELATED: Two injured, One Dead After Two Separate Incidents At Rocky Mountain National Park)
According to @CNN 20-year-old skier, Madison Saltsburg, succumbs to fatal injuries after a harrowing 600-foot fall down icy Tuckerman Ravine.https://t.co/rH57eLcli0
— KSL NewsRadio (@kslnewsradio) March 11, 2024
The ravine is particularly popular as warm weather arrives toward spring and softens the icy snow, bringing hundreds to the spot for skiing and snowboarding, according to the outlet.
Due to cold temperatures and lack of fresh snowfall recently, the Forest Service said that Saltsburg and other skiers ran into harsh conditions Saturday that included open crevasse holes, AP reported.
Besides Saltsburg fatal fall, numerous other accidents led to injuries Saturday, according to AP.
Rescue teams, working into the evening hours to remove Saltsburg’s body from the mountain and aid injured skiers, were hampered by heavy wet snow and strong winds Saturday night, the outlet reported.
Colleen Mainville, a spokesperson with the U.S. Forest Service, said snow rangers and emergency personnel were exhausted by rescue efforts that extended deep into the night, according to AP.
Mount Washington, the tallest mountain in the Northeast at 6,288 feet, is well known for severe weather and frequent rescues, AP reported.
New Hampshire Fish and Game reported Friday that a 23-year-old hiker was rescued after he “fell and hit his head and face, lost one of his sneakers and eventually became hypothermic,” near the Ammonoosuc Ravine, according to the outlet.