Five U.S. skiers die in a week

Five U.S. skiers die in a week Page 1/2
MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif., Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Five skiers died over a seven-day periodon or near California's Mammoth Mountains, causing concern among other skiersin the town.Three of the skiers died in accidents. The fourth died of a heart attack andthe fifth in an avalanche, reports The Los Angeles Times.One of the victims was a Los Angeles dentist who was an avid outdoorsman.Another victim was a retired water deliveryman, the third a teenager, thefourth a marketing representative and the fifth an accomplished ski patrolmember, said the report.The mountains, five hours north of Los Angeles, is a snow sports destinationthat attracts about 1 million visitors a year. The Times reported that in anormal season, three people die in accidents or from natural causes at theresort. Last season, two people died.Officials said the Mammoth deaths from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1 were unrelated to eachother but that those who work on the slopes took them particularly very hard.A ski repairman said: "It's just so many people died in a short amount of time.It's pretty scary."