UPDATE: San Jose pastor identified as deceased skier found unresponsive at Lake Tahoe ski resort
A skier who died after being found unresponsive Wednesday was a beloved pastor at a church in the San Jose area.
Pastor Craig Jutila, 53, was pronounced dead shortly after he was found unresponsive at Sierra-at-Tahoe Wednesday.
Jutila was a family pastor at Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, California.
An email sent to Venture congregants by Pastor Tim Lundy noted that Jutila died following a “tragic skiing accident.”
The cause of death remains unknown.
According to Sierra-at-Tahoe, ski patrol received a report of an unresponsive skier on the Powderhorn Trail around 1:47 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26.
Responders attempted to resuscitate him, but they were unsuccessful. Jutila was pronounced dead by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.
“Craig’s leadership as Pastor of Family Ministries has made such a difference in our church,” Lundy, a senior pastor at Venture, wrote in his email. “His writing and speaking ministry to families has helped countless homes and lives around the world. He will be missed as a pastor, leader and teacher, but most of all, as our friend.”
Jutila is survived by his wife, Mary, and their children, Alec, Cameron and Karimy.
A celebration of life is scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31, at Venture Christian Church Worship Center.
ORIGINAL POST: Skier dies after being found unresponsive at Lake Tahoe ski resort
A skier has died after he was found unresponsive in the middle of a run at Sierra-at-Tahoe Wednesday.
According to the resort, Sierra-at-Tahoe ski patrol received a report at the bottom of the West Bowl Express chairlift of an unresponsive male skier on the Powderhorn Trail around 1:47 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 26.
Patrol immediately responded and found a 53-year-old man unconscious. CPR was being performed, according to Sierra. It’s unknown how long the man had been unresponsive in the middle of the run.
Additional resources were called in but the skier was pronounced dead by the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office, which confirmed the death but did not release additional information Friday afternoon.
Sarah Sherman, communications and public relations manager for Sierra-at-Tahoe, told the Tribune that none of the other guests on the mountain were able to confirm what happened to the man.
His identity has not been released.
“Sierra-at-Tahoe wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the patient,” the resort said in a press release.
This is the first reported death of the 2018-19 season. A snowboarder at Sierra-at-Tahoe died in December 2017 after he lost control.
Later that month a Santa Rosa man died after a “solo” crash at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
About four months later a Kings Beach man died after he lost control and crashed while skiing a steep run at Alpine Meadows.
The Tribune will update this story when more information becomes available.
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