The 70-year-old Dallas man who hit a tree and died Saturday while skiing at Purgatory Resort was identified Sunday as Joel Eastman.
Eastman hit a tree around 1:15 p.m. Saturday between Lift 3 and Lift 8, said Coroner Jann Smith. Ski patrol brought the man to emergency care on the front side of the mountain by snowmobile and called a Flight For Life helicopter for emergency transportation.
The man, who was skiing with his wife, died on the mountain, Smith said. He was wearing a helmet, she said.
The man had some basic medical issues but “we don’t think that would have caused him to have an issue before he hit the tree,” Smith said. The Coroner’s Office plans to perform an autopsy sometime next week.
It’s been almost three years since someone died at Purgatory Resort. A New Jersey man died this week at Vail Resort.
More than 40 people die each year skiing and snowboarding, according to the National Ski Areas Association.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
