On February 14, 2025 (Valentine’s Day), Claire Murphy was critically injured in an avalanche inside Mammoth Mountain ski resort. She would die of her injuries a few days later. Her fellow patrolers did everything within their power to save her life. Soon after the accident, ski patrolers from across the United States converged on Mammoth Mountain to lend their support. I was standing in the lift line when I heard the news that the resort would be closing. I did not immediately know why. What I know now is that Claire died working to keep the mountain safe for me.

In the words of one of her cousins:

Claire was a bright light to everyone who met her. Fierce, opinionated, and strong willed. And so full of love and affection to those around her. She finished her Masters in Social Work at the University of Southern California less than a year ago because she wanted to help others. But before she started her career, she wanted to fulfill a long time dream of being on the ski patrol – a group of people she had grown up admiring as a girl who had skied her entire life.

In the words of the Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol Alumni Association:

On February 14th, 2025 at approximately 11:30 am, two Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol staff were caught in avalanche on Lincoln Mountain. The slide occurred during avalanche mitigation work, following a significant Sierra snow storm, where approximately 6 feet of snow fell in just 36 hours. One patroller was extracted from the scene and was responsive. Another patroller, Claire Murphy was transported to Mammoth Hospital and then flown to Renown in Reno with serious injuries. Claire later passed away, leaving us with more love than we know what to do with. It is very difficult to find the right words. We are devastated by the loss of Claire Murphy. We stand together with broken hearts and endless tears. We are trying so hard to understand something we do not want to believe. We reach out to each other, often without words, and in these moments the love starts to return. We hug, we cry, and we cry some more. Our broken hearts somehow find the love we need to move forward. Hold your loved ones near and enjoy what we have in this moment. The love will return to help mend each other in our brotherhood, in our sisterhood and for our local community. The arm of love reaches around the world. Now it is our time to heal. A very special thank you to all the Ski Patrol members who came from all over the US to say goodbye to Claire in Reno. Thank you to the city of Reno for opening their hearts and offering their overwhelming support to our large Ski Patrol community. A heartfelt thank you to all the former Mammoth Mountain Ski Patrol members and the dedicated professionals from other ski areas who stepped up to assist that Saturday. Your commitment and teamwork ensured the safety of our guests, continued operations at our ski area and showcased the extraordinary camaraderie and support within the Ski Patrol community.