Ski deaths preventable

Dear Editor: While on the chair lift at Hunter Mountain on the morning of March 6, 2017, I saw a fallen skier sliding down the double black diamond slope Racer’s Edge who could not stop. He eventually came to a stop as the slope flattened out. Later, I skied that slope and found it to be very icy. Due to the steepness and the ice, it was difficult to “get an edge,” thus easy to get out of control.

The next day I learned that a young man had died on that slope after hitting trees. What a shame — a 20-year-old with his life in front of him, snuffed out. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

I believe this is the second death this year at Hunter and the third in the Hudson Valley. Could anything have been done to prevent these deaths? Were all three deaths the results of skiers losing control and hitting trees? Cannot the owners of the ski slopes put fences or some type of “insulation” around trees? Yes, it would be an added expense and more maintenance, but saving a single life would be worth every penny.

We, as a nation, have made great strides with automobile safety. According to Wikipedia, deaths were 11.3 per 100,000 drivers in 2015, down from a high of 22.7 in 1979.

New York state and the Department of Environmental Conservation have addressed hiking and climbing deaths, especially at Kaaterskill Falls. I believe it is time to address preventable deaths on the ski slopes. Ski area owners, elected officials, citizens, should consider this point of view.

Michael MacIsaac, Saugerties