PRINCETON — A Monday morning ski at Wachusett Mountain Ski Area in Princeton/ Westminster turned deadly for a Shrewsbury man when he apparently hit a tree and was found unresponsive by his skiing companion.
John Lapato, 67, of Shrewsbury was later pronounced dead.
The incident happened around 9:25 a.m. Mountain rescuers gave aid and transported the injured skier down the slope to Princeton and Westminster EMS staff.
The trail where the incident happened is an advanced level trail called the Oxbow Chute. A Wachusett Mountain Ski Area representative said conditions on the slopes were not dangerous to skiers at the time of the accident.
The Wachusett Mount Ski Area press office issued a statement about the incident. “The entire Wachusett community is grieving this tragic loss,” it stated. “All our thoughts are with the skier’s family and friends.”
The morning fatality was only one of the injuries on the mountain on Monday, the first day of spring. A 74-year-old man was also transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center after a head strike on the mountain that occurred around 11 a.m. There was no information on the injured man’s name or condition as of Monday afternoon.
Such injuries are common among skiers, though not always fatal. The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) reported last fall that the 2021-2022 season had seen about 57 fatalities on U.S. ski slopes. Collisions with trees are the primary causes of fatalities among skiers, especially those on “more difficult” terrain, the NSAA reported.
The March 20 incidents come just a week after two teens needed rescuing on the mountain after becoming lost off the ski area property during nonbusiness hours. The two were found uninjured.
Updated March 24.
