Photo: Mammoth Mountain
A California regulatory agency has found Mammoth Mountain at fault for the avalanche death of a ski patroller last year. The findings, published in July but reported recently by SFGate, were the conclusion of an investigation into the tragic death of Claire Murphy.
Murphy was one of two ski patrollers caught in an avalanche at Mammoth Mountain on February 14, 2025. Around 11:30 a.m., an avalanche released on Lincoln Mountain, in an area of Mammoth Mountain nicknamed the “Avalanche Chutes.” Though the area had been closed to guests at the time, Murphy and her partner were working to open the ski area, and were caught in the slide. The partner survived, but Murphy sustained major injuries, that she later succumbed to.
Following the incident, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) opened an investigation into Murphy’s death. As SFGate reports, a July 2025 citation from the regulator revealed they found Mammoth Mountain at fault and fined the company $26,810 for three violations related to the death. Cal/OSHA determined that Mammoth put employees unnecessarily in harms way, without proper safeguards to keep them safe – and that this resulted in Murphy’s demise.
However, that may not be the end to the investigation. Mammoth spokesperson Emily van Greuning told SFGate in an email that the company is still under investigation, and that they will be contesting Cal/OSHA’s finding of the company at fault.
In December, 30-year-old Mammoth ski patroller Cole Murphy was also killed in an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain.
