Photo: Linda Murray // GoFundMe
In a tragic turn of events, a young snowboarder has died while visiting a California ski resort. The incident occurred Saturday, March 29, at the Kirkwood Mountain Resort in Kirkwood, California. Roman Lacayo, 25, suffered what the Alpine County Sheriff’s Department described in a press release as “major head injuries” that were “not compatible with life.”
Lacayo was on a snowboarding trip with his girlfriend and several other couples. “It appears that as he was going down the mountain, he took a pretty basic fall, but there was a large boulder in his vicinity,” his father told USA Today. Someone called for help around 12:20 p.m., after which sheriff deputies arrived to find Lacayo suffering from the aforementioned head injury. Kirkwood, a ski area owned by Vail Resorts, told USA Today that its ski patrol also responded to the incident, and that it occurred on an intermediate trail. Lacayo was taken to the nearby Barton Medical Clinic and pronounced dead just before 1:00 p.m.
“With heavy hearts, we share the devastating news of the sudden passing of Roman Lacayo, a beloved son, brother, uncle, grandson, boyfriend, friend and an aspiring firefighter.” wrote Linda Murray and Priscilla Flores, organizers of a GoFundMe campaign started to support Locayo’s family. “At just 25 years old, Roman’s life was tragically cut short in a snowboarding accident in Tahoe. His adventurous spirit, kind heart, and infectious smile brought joy to everyone who knew him.”
