Sugarloaf Mountain Worker Dies On Mogul Course

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, ME — A Sugarloaf Mountain worker died Friday after a fall at the mogul course, officials said. The incident happened at about 10 a.m. as the 24-year-old male employee was preparing the course for a competition. His identity was withheld pending family notification, officials said in a statement.

"Our staff is a close-knit family that cares deeply for one another, and our heats are with our team member and his family today," Sugarloaf General Manager Karl Strand said in a statement. "Safety is the first priority in everything we do at Sugarloaf and a loss like this is a tremendous blow to all of us."

The worker was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident, officials said. The incident happened on the mountain's "Skidder" trail, a double-black diamond course for experts. Officials said snow conditions were "loose granular" at the time.

Officials with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched an investigation.

Photo: Sugarloaf Mountain. (Credit: ThePessimus/Creative Commons)