Cole Anderson, a U18 FIS level athlete with the Mt. Washington Ski Club on Vancouver Island, was tragically killed March 21 while skiing at Whistler Blackcomb.
The 18-year-old Campbell River athlete was free skiing with his teammates and coach after a day of ski race training at the Dave Murray National Training Centre on Whistler Mountain.
They had just completed a challenging run on Blackcomb and were on their last run, at approximately 3 p.m., when Anderson slipped and fell off a cliff about seven metres high, landing on an area covered
with very little snow. He was skiing on terrain that was well within his capabilities when the accident occurred.
His teammates reached him very quickly and their coach, a trained paramedic, took control of the situation and immediately called for ski patrol who arrived within a few minutes. Despite their best efforts, Anderson succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Head coach John Trimmer notes Anderson had been a member of the Mt. Washington Ski Club for over 10 years and was a committed ski racer, representing his club provincially and nationally. "He was a talented athlete who found joy when skiing," Trimmer said.
"He loved to spend time with his teammates, and liked nothing better than carving turns on the race course or in fresh powder. He was also an emerging leader and the younger club athletes looked up to him for his skill, ready smile and easy going manner," said Trimmer.
"The Mt. Washington Ski Club is a tight-knit group of families and we are all grieving together at this time of loss. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Cole’s mom and dad, Michele and Terry, who are committed club volunteers, and his sister Nicola, who is a former ski racer and club coach, and their family.
"While it is hard to comprehend the loss of Cole, we take solace that he was doing something he loved to do with people who cared for him, and we shall cherish his memory," said Trimmer.
"He was a fine young man who was looking forward to all that the world had to offer after he graduated from Timberline high school this year. He was loved and will be greatly missed," the coach added.
"We are shocked and saddened by this tragic accident," said Bruce Goldsmid, BC Alpine CEO. "On behalf of the alpine ski racing community, our thoughts are with the Anderson family and the Mt. Washington Ski Club. The ski racing community in British Columbia is like a family and we are all devastated by this loss.”
A statement from the BC Coroners Service on March 23 said they and RCMP continue to investigate the death.
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