A 34-year-old Seattle man died at Mt Bachelor Monday after being buried in a tree well. Mt. Bachelor Ski Patrol…Air Link… Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputies… and Search and Rescue teams responded to Bachelor’s west side after Deschutes 911 received an emergency SOS text message just after 3 PM Monday. Investigators determined third parties worked for approximately 15 to 20 minutes to free Benjamin Shelkey from being buried headfirst. Following CPR… Shelkey was transported to the Mt. Bachelor Clinic, where he succumbed to his injuries. While the cause of the accident remains under investigation, and the official cause of death has not yet been determined, circumstances are consistent with snow immersion suffocation, according to the Sheriff’s office.



