Two Snowboarding Deaths Saturday

Two snowboarders are dead after two unrelated accidents on Saturday in Flathead County.

According to Sheriff Chuck Curry, the first incident occurred in Lakeside off of Blacktail road. The skier, 22-year-old Conner Heidegger from Rollins, was out of bounds and some distance from the ski resort. Q2 reports that the victim was snowboarding with a friend when he intentionally attempted a jump off a cliff and died as a result of blunt force trauma. His body was recovered Saturday afternoon by volunteers from Flathead Search and Rescue, Somers Lakeside Fire Department and the Blacktail Ski Patrol.

Meanwhile, 28-year-old Robert Hornstra of Alberta was snowboarding with friends at Whitefish Mountain Resort when he became separated from his group. Flathead Search and Rescue found Hornstra’s body early Monday morning, upside down in a tree well. He was pronounced dead at the scene.