Mammoth Mountain Found at Fault in Death of Ski Patroller

August 14, 2026

California workplace regulators found Mammoth Mountain knowingly violated safety requirements after ski patroller Cole Murphy died in an avalanche triggered during explosives work in December 2025. Cal/OSHA cited the resort for inadequate training on protective equipment, poor communication, and failing to confirm the avalanche path was clear before the blast. Mammoth says it has corrected the violations but is contesting the citations; another patroller, Claire Murphy, died in a separate avalanche at the resort earlier that year. The Inertia