Jennifer Strohl, 21, of Jim Thorpe, Pa., was snowboarding with friends on the Great Northern Trail late Thursday morning when they became separated, Vermont State Police said.
The friends contacted Killington Ski Patrol in the mid-afternoon and a search that retraced Strohl’s course down the mountain ended at 4:45 p.m. when her body was found about 10 feet off the trail. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Strohl’s death is under investigation, police said, but it doesn’t appear to be suspicious. Strohl, who wasn’t wearing a helmet, suffered head injuries in the crash, police said.
State police Sgt. Thomas Mozzer, who responded to the scene, said it was unclear exactly what the snowboarder crashed into.
“There were contusions and lacerations on her face, but it’s hard to say if she caught an edge and hit her face on the snow or if she struck a tree,” Mozzer said.
Strohl, who was skiing on a beginner slope, was described by her friends as an intermediate-level snowboarder, the sergeant said.
Strohl’s death marks the first time this season that a snowboarder or skier has died at a Vermont resort, according to Sarah Wojcik, director of public affairs at the Vermont Ski Areas Association. Last season, there were no deaths at Vermont’s ski areas, she said.
Wojcik said her organization recommends that all skiers and snowboarders wear helmets rated to withstand impacts of at least 12 mph. Skiers in the Northeast have the best helmet compliance in the country, she added.
“We also recommend skiing in control,” Wojcik said.
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