Skier dies, record set for ski resort fatalities

VAIL - The Vail Ski Resort says a skier from the Denver area was killed after a skiing incident Saturday afternoon. This means a record 17 skiers have died on the slopes at Colorado resorts this season.

According to the Eagle County Coroner's Office, 32-year-old Martin Fierro of Lakewood was pronounced dead after an incident on the intermediate run "In The Wuides in Blue Sky Basin" on Vail Mountain.

Ski Patrol took Fierro to an awaiting ambulance. He was then taken to the Vail Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Fierro was wearing a helmet.

Our partners at The Denver Post report that 17 skiers and snowboarders have died on slopes and mountains this season in Colorado. That breaks the record of 16 set during the 2001-2002 season.

2007-2008 deaths, according to The Post:April 5: 32-year-old Martin Fierro of Lakewood died at Vail.

Mar. 30: 43-year-old Michael Howe from Andover, Kan. died after hitting a tree on Frenchman trail at Keystone Resort.

Mar. 23: 28-year-old Jennifer Ash from Indianapolis was pronounced brain-dead after suffering a vertebral artery dissection which led to a stroke after a snowboarding fall on March 16 at Keystone resort.

Mar. 1: 39-year-old Gabrielle Hutter from Centennial died after hitting a tree at Winter Park Resort.

Feb. 27: 46-year-old John Bosman of Orlando, Fla. died from head injuries at Eldora Mountain Resort.

Feb. 19: 13-year-old Kenneth Joyce of Glastonbury, Conn. died after hitting a tree on Diamondback trail at Keystone Ski Resort.

Feb. 15: 68-year-old Bob Guthrie from Silverthorne died after hitting his head in a fall at Arapahoe Basin on Feb. 11.

Feb. 13: 33-year-old Brian Irvin, a Southwest Airlines pilot from Mesa, Ariz. hit some trees and died at Telluride Ski Resort.

Feb. 12: 67-year-old John Dobbie from Downers Grove, Ill. died from a head injury suffered on Feb. 1 at Crested Butte.

Feb. 6: 61-year-old retired ABC newsman, John McWethy of Boulder, was killed in a skiing accident at Keystone.

Jan. 31: 40-year-old Michael Gruber from Dillon died from a head injury suffered the day before at Arapahoe Basin.

Jan. 25: 22-year-old Jared Daniel, a snowboarder from Auburn, Mass. suffocated after falling head first into a tree well at Steamboat Ski Area.

Jan. 20: 33-year-old James McLean, a doctor from Kansas, died in a snowboard accident at the Breckenridge Ski Resort.

Jan. 15: 45-year-old Mark Joseph Stout from Nockamixon Township, Pa. died after falling into a tree well at Steamboat.

Jan. 6: A 19-year-old Durango resident died after apparently skiing off a headwall near a lift at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort.

Jan. 3: 11-year-old Benjamin Trichler from Great Britain died after skiing into a tree at Breckenridge.

Dec 28: 15-year-old Mitchell Maltsberger from Oolagah, Okla. died after hitting a tree on an intermediate trail at Wolf Creek.