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Boy injured on Mount Ashland By Sean Wolfe Ashland Daily Tidings A 10-year old Medford boy injured in a fall on Mount Ashland is still listed in serious condition at Rogue Valley Medical Center, but hospital officials said he is conscious, stable and doing well. The incident happened at 3 p.m. Monday when Devin Haug fell down a 10-foot embankment at the base of Mount Ashland's Romeo ski run, then crashed onto a snowmobile trail before tumbling into a nearby treeline. It is not clear whether Haug was wearing a helmet at the time, and a source at Haug's school said no helmet was recovered when Haug was rescued. Grace Christian School parent Shirley Buckmaster reacts to new of Monday's ski accident that seriously injured a 10-year-old boy. Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA According to Mt. Ashland Ski Area Manager Jeff Hanson, ski patrols found Haug unconscious, but came to before he was prepared for airlifting to the hospital. "He was packaged as if he had a head, neck or a back injury, which is something we always do. The helicopter arrived at 3:15 p.m. and he was out of here by 3:21 p.m.," Hanson said. Hanson said he could only speculate on how the incident occurred. "It's possible that if you come down the run with too much speed, you could go over, which is why we emphasize staying in control or at your ability level. It's always hard to have anyone get injured on the mountain, which is why we take our preventative measures, and our care, very seriously," Hanson said. Haug, a fourth-grader, came to the mountain as part of a ski program arranged by his school, Medford-based Grace Christian School. The boy's parents said that Devin had no broken bones or internal injuries, but is suffering from a concussion. According to Mary Barnum, trauma coordinator for Rogue Valley Medical Center, Mount Ashland gets roughly 240 injuries per ski season, ranging from sprained wrists to more serious injuries. Most patients are in good enough condition and arrive by ground, but each season sees two or three patients transported by helicopter. Barnum said helmets are the best line of defense for skiers, and emphasized their importance. "A lot of schools have school-based ski programs, and while they emphasize helmets, that message could be out there more. It's one of the most important things one can do to protect themselves against serious harm. We'd encourage the community to get behind that, and possibly look at donating helmets for kids to ski in," Barnum said. The last death on the mountain was over a decade ago, according to Hanson, who said there have only been three fatalities at the mountain in his 22 years, and one of those was not caused by an accident - instead it was a skier who died of a brain aneurysm while on the slopes. Oregon law and liability issues releases to exonerate Mt. Ashland of any responsibility for death or injury, according to Hanson. "Under state law, anyone skiing or snowboarding on prepared slopes assumes the risks inherent to the sport," Hanson said. Michael Berry, president of the Colorado-based National Ski Areas Association, said ski injuries have been reduced significantly over the past three decades due to greater awareness on the part of skiers and snowboarders, as well as advances in safety equipment made by manufacturers. "The injury rate on mountains nationally has dropped 50 percent over the last 30 years. Over the last 10 years, on average we get about 41 serious injuries out of 54.4 million ski visits. That's a better rate than swimming accidents - 1,200 people died swimming last year out of 54.8 million swimmers," Berry said. "So there's an inherent risk, but no more so than any other active, high energy sport." Hanson said Mt. Ashland's long-term plans for expanding the ski area, increasing the capacity of existing runs, and creating more intermediate and beginner terrain could significantly improve the mountain's safety. "Certainly, longer, easier runs have a higher safe capacity for skiers and snowboarders. The same thing that addresses what keeps people in the sport and learning also emphasizes safety," Hanson said. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -