Two more snowboarders died in the last week in unrelated accidents resulting in head injuries. Rahsheka Keith (right), a 22-year old UC Santa Cruz theatre student from Oakland, California died after riding her snowboard (like a sled) into a lift tower at Lake Tahoe, California’s Granlibakken Resort, according to a story in the Sierra Sun.
The accident occurred when Keith used her snowboard as a sled, sitting upon the board with her feet unattached to the bindings, Ausnow said. At some point, Keith became turned around, facing uphill, with her back turned toward the bottom of the hill. She then crashed into a lift tower pole.
In Arizona, 22-year-old Branson Holm died from injuries sustained after landing on his head while “attempting to do a backflip on his snowboard,” on January 9, 2011 while riding near Flagstaff, Arizona, according to a story in the Mail Tribune.
Keith and Holm become the 12th and 13th snowboard deaths in North America since December 20, 2010. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
[Links: Sierra Sun and Mail Tribune]
