Claire Murphy was conducting "avalanche mitigation" work on Valentine's Day when she and a colleague were caught in an avalanche. Ski resort officials announced her death Saturday.

Mammoth Mountain officials said the slide occurred during avalanche mitigation work following a significant Sierra Nevada snowstorm, during which about six feet of snow fell in 36 hours.

Claire Murphy and another ski patroller were injured on February 14 after being caught in an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain.

On Saturday, Mammoth Mountain Resort said ski patroller Claire Murphy died Friday night after she was caught in an avalanche on Feb. 14 on Lincoln Mountain. "Our hearts are with her family and our community as we navigate this tragedy together," the resort said in a statement.

Murphy was doing avalanche mitigation with a team of ski patrollers on Lincoln Mountain — a dome peak within the Mammoth Mountain ski area — when an avalanche broke loose in an area known as the Avalanche (Avy) Chutes on Friday, Feb. 14. The accident occurred after approximately six feet of snow fell in 36 hours following a heavy Sierra snowstorm.

A Mammoth Mountain ski patrol employee has died after sustaining serious injuries last week from an avalanche.

February 23, 2025 – Mammoth Mountain officials issue an update on Ski Patrol staff member who was injured in an avalanche on Lincoln Mountain earlier this month.