Grand Mesa Incident Results in Colorado’s First Ski Season Fatality

Last year, three people died in separate skiing incidents at Breckenridge Ski Resort, putting it at the top of the list of Colorado resorts with the most fatalities for the 2023-2024 ski season. Fatalities also occurred in Vail, Winter Park, Keystone, Copper Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Purgatory, Loveland, and the Arapahoe Basin.

Read More: Tragic Toll: 14 Lives Lost In Colorado's 2023-2024 Ski Season

Sadly, the first fatality of the 2024-2025 ski season has taken place on the Western Slope following an incident at Powderhorn Mountain Resort on the Grand Mesa.

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First Ski-related Death of the Season

Details from a report shared by the Colorado Sun tell of an incident at Powderhorn Mountain Resort on December 24th, 2024. A  24-year-old Marine suffered multiple head injuries upon collision with a tree. She was taken to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction following the accident where she later died as a result of her injuries on January 5th of 2025.

Accident Reporting in Colorado

Keeping track of fatalities at ski resorts is often a challenge during the ski season, as the Ski Safety Act of 1979 does not require such findings to be made public. While the law requires them to uphold safety standards, they are not required to report fatalities.

The Mesa County Coroner confirmed on Friday, January 17th, that the death of the 24-year-old marine on January 5th was the result of injuries sustained during the fall on December 24th.

Read More: Great Colorado Skiing On Powderhorn's Fun Snowcloud Trail

Mesa County Marine Veteran Remembered

In a report shared by Kacie Sinton with News 11, the 24-year-old marine was identified as Jessie Mello. Mello's obituary was published by Brown’s Cremation & Funeral Service and identified her as the rank of Sergeant.

Friends, family, and community members can make donations in Jessie’s name to the Lutheran Church and School of Messiah Student Scholarship Fund. They also ask that donations be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation in support of Jessie.