“He was found at about 8:15 a.m. just off of the Sensation ski run in some trees.” –Unified Police Department spokesperson Melody Cutler
Tragic news out of Utah where search and rescue crews on located the body of a skier who was reported missing Monday night. KSL reports the skier has been identified as 37-year-old Devon O’Connell, of Cottonwood Heights. He had gone up to Solitude to ski on Monday with a friend.
Police said the friend left the mountain around 10:30 a.m. while O’Connell hopped on a chairlift for another run around noon. Police said O’Connell was last seen on a chairlift around noon Monday. He was expected to return home by 2 p.m. When he didn’t return on time his wife notified Solitude Ski Patrol.
Now @UPDSL tell #KSLTV the skier has been found dead https://t.co/eeo4L38VM6
— Derek Petersen (@Derek_Photog) December 13, 2022
Salt Lake County search and rescue, Solitude and Brighton ski patrols and UPD’s Canyon Patrol were called out to begin the search Monday night. Search and rescue crews said O’Connell’s car was located at a Solitude parking lot and his cell phone pinged to a location on the mountain. Crews dealt with rough conditions overnight and paused all search efforts around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. The search resumed just before 7 a.m. and O’Connell’s body was found around an hour later. O’Connell was known to be an expert skier and was wearing a helmet.
Our condolences go out to Devon O’Connell’s family and friends.
