In addition to the skier who died at Keystone Resort earlier this week, the Summit County Coroner’s Office says there have been two other deaths resulting from crashes at local ski resorts so far this season.

All three fatal crashes in Summit County involved Colorado residents and occurred on intermediate trails. In January, two snowboarders died days after sustaining injuries in crashes, Summit County Coroner Amber Flenniken said in an email. 

Brandon Durham, 21, of Boulder, died six days after a crash that occurred Jan. 8, at Copper Mountain, and Nadia Hi, 28, of Aurora, died eight days after a crash that occurred at Keystone Resort, Jan. 12, Flenniken said. The death certificates for both Hi and Durham list the cause as “blunt force injuries” sustained “due to a snowboard crash,” according to the Coroner’s Office.

This week, Matthew Chambers, 61, of Fort Lupton, died Tuesday, March 11, after a crash that day at Keystone Resort, Flenniken said. The cause and manner of Chamber’s death are pending the results of an autopsy.

Copper Mountain communications manager Olivia Butrymovich confirmed that a 21-year-old patient was transported by Flight for Life on Jan. 8. Ski patrol responded to a call involving the man on the Andy’s Encore trail, and administered emergency medical care before transporting him to the Copper Clinic, where he was evaluated before being loaded onto the helicopter, Butrymovich said.

Durham, an intermediate to advanced boarder, was not wearing a helmet during the crash on Andy’s Encore, an intermediate trail, Flenniken said. Durham, who was not impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash, was traveling at a high rate of speed when he hit the snow surface, she said.

Durham hit the snow surface while traveling at a high rate of speed, Flenniken said. He was transported to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, where he was pronounced dead on Dec. 14, according to the Coroner’s Office.

Durham’s obituary notes that he was a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was studying psychology and was an active member of the snowboard team. He “was known for being a kind, enthusiastic soul, always caring about the feelings of others and ensuring their inclusion,” his obituary states.

Keystone Mountain also confirmed the two crashes that the Coroner’s Office says resulted in deaths.

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Hi, an intermediate snowboarder, was wearing a helmet when she crashed while traveling an average speed into a lift tower on the Flying Dutchman, an intermediate run, at Keystone Resort on Jan. 12, Flenniken said.  Hi tested positive for alcohol and marijuana after the crash, she said. 

Hi died at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood on Jan. 20, according to the Coroner’s Office.

“Our hearts go out to our guest and her loved ones, and we are keeping all those affected in our thoughts during this difficult time”, Keystone Resort Vice President and General Manager Shannon Buhler said in a statement.

Chambers, an intermediate to advanced skier, was descending the Haywood trail, an intermediate run at Keystone Resort, when he lost control and collided with a padded light pole, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. 

Chambers, who was wearing a helmet, was traveling at a high rate of speed at the time of the crash Tuesday, Flenniken said. After being transported to Keystone Medical Center, he was pronounced dead that same day, according to the Coroner’s Office.

“Keystone Resort, Keystone Ski Patrol and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” Buhler said in a statement.

Several dozen skiers and snowboarders die at ski resorts in the U.S. every year, with many of those fatal crashes occurring in Colorado. But the National Ski Area Association says ski fatalities are rare compared to the millions of skier visits that the U.S. sees each year.

During the 2024-25 winter season, U.S. ski resorts experienced 35 fatalities, the lowest number since the 2014-15 season, according to data from the National Ski Area Association. Compared to the 60.5 million skier days resorts saw in 2024-25, that comes out to a rate of 0.58 fatalities per million, the data states. Over the past 10 seasons, fatalities have reportedly occurred at a rate of 0.74 per million skier days.

Your Responsibility Code — the National Ski Areas Association’s 10 tenants for snowsport responsibility — requires that skiers and snowboarders “always stay in control” as one of its principals. 

According to the National Ski Areas Association, every skier and rider can also take three simple actions to help avoid collisions and crashes on the mountain: Be ready to slow down or avoid other people at any time; stay alert to what is going on; and plan ahead, such as easing up at blind spots and checking uphill when merging onto trails.

“One fatality is too many, and NSAA will continue to work with our member ski areas on slope safety,” National Ski Area Association President Kelly Pawlak said in a news release. “We ask our guests to familiarize themselves with Your Responsibility Code before taking their first runs of the year.”