By all accounts, Cole Murphy was an exceptional human. Photos; Courtesy Mammoth
On Friday, December 26, in the early morning hours ahead of opening, two Mammoth Mountain ski patrollers were caught in an avalanche while doing mitigation work on Lincoln Mountain, a peak at lower elevation within the Mammoth basin. One patroller received non-life threatening injuries, but a second, 30-year-old Cole Murphy, was hospitalized in serious condition after the accident. Mammoth was closed Friday and Saturday after the incident.
Tragically, Murphy passed away from his injures on Sunday.
“With profound sorrow, Mammoth Mountain confirms that the ski patroller who was critically injured and hospitalized Friday has died from his injuries,” Mammoth officials wrote in an announcement on social media. “Cole Murphy, 30, was an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.”
In the social post, Murphy’s family posted a statement in conjunction with Mammoth (below). In it they speak of his love for his job, the mountains, the respect he had for his co-patrollers, and the place he lived. They also addressed Murphy’s strong relationship with his partner Hayley, whom he leaves behind.
“At the center of Cole’s heart was Hayley – his partner, his joy, his steady place in the world. Their love was built on adventure, laughter, and a connection that ran deep. She is forever a part of who he was, and always will be. Cole also held his family close, meeting life with an easy smile, a generous spirit, and a warmth that drew people in wherever he went.”
This is the second patroller death this year at Mammoth, and the second on Lincoln Mountain as well. Claire Murphy (no relation to Cole) died from her injures after being caught in a slide on Valentine’s Day, 2025.
Cole’s death came in the midst of a heavy snowfall pattern in the region. In the last week, parts of the Sierra Nevada have received between five and six feet of snow. The avalanche danger was significant throughout the state of California. The tragedy also occurs amidst a national controversy regarding patroller pay, with patroller strikes at Park City Resort last year, and currently at Colorado’s Telluride.
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