Rockyview Councillor dies while skiing
Posted Dec 27, 2011 5:08 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The man who died from injuries sustained during a skiing run at the Nakiska Mountain Resort has been identified as Rockyview County Councillor Rick Butler.
The 55-year-old was rushed to hospital after colliding with a tree on Boxing Day and died Tuesday in hospital.
Fellow councillor Greg Boehlke said Butler was a dedicated family.
“He treated everybody with such respect, colleagues and his electorate, and even people he met. He was very respectful and had a wonderful sense of humour,” he said.
This horrible accident has raised questions about ski safety.
Brad Johnston, the Safety Supervisor with Winsport Canada says whether you are a skier or snowboarder, you need to know your limits.
“Get familiar with the Alpine Responsibility Code. Know your limits, only pick runs that you feel comfortable on and only go from green to blue or blue to black when you think you’re ready and you had that time in the day to get your feet under you and warmed up similar to any other exercise,” he said.
He added if you do find yourself going down a run and you lose control, unless you have the physical strength to steer yourself to safety, there isn’t much you can do besides trying to fall uphill or across the hill.
