Photo Credit: gourmettraveller.com.au Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand
Last Friday was a tough day out on the skifields of New Zealand. Two snow sliders lost their lives in separate incidents.
The first accident involved Abraham Klaarenbeek, 38. Abraham was first injured while skiing off Mt. Ruapehu at the Whakapapa Ski Area. Abraham was skiing at the resort when he came up over a rise at the area and collided with a T-bar tower. The Dutch citizen was rushed to Waikato Hospital, but did not make it out from surgery.
The second incident happened in the New Zealand backcountry near Canterbury. Tom Stone, a 29-year-old snowboarder from Australia, slipped while hiking in the backcountry and was killed. Tom was with two friends. He was reportedly behind the Mt. Cheeseman Ski Area outside of Christchurch when he took his snowboard off to start a firm ascent, slipped on a 45-degree slope, fell down a rock littered ravine, and lost his life due to head trauma. Tom was airlifted to the nearby Christchurch Hospital where he passed away from injuries sustained on the fall. He was not wearing a helmet during the accident.