Missing skier found dead from hypothermia in out-of-bounds area in Idaho, cops say

A skier left his friends to go to a different part of a ski area and was later found dead, Montana police said.

William Benjamin Brown, a 25-year-old from Colorado, was reported missing from the Lost Trail Ski Area, a resort on the Montana-Idaho border, according to the Ravalli County Sheriff.

He did not return from skiing Thursday, Jan. 13, according to the sheriff’s office.

Brown was later found dead on the Idaho side of the resort in an out-of-bounds area, deputies said in a Thursday, Jan. 20, news release.

“Sheriff Holton said the man had left his group of friends, and was skiing alone at the time he went missing,” the news release said. “Sheriff Holton said this case is sad reminder to recreationists to ski with a friend, and to stay inbounds when enjoying the ski season.”

Brown died of hypothermia, and his death was ruled an accident by the Lemhi County coroner.

Brown’s death is at least the fourth death in Idaho this ski and snowboarding season.

In December, two 17-year-olds were killed in an avalanche near Relay Ridge west of Driggs, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office said.

“The reporting party advised the sheriff’s office that one person was riding a snowmobile and another was skiing at the time the avalanche occurred,” the sheriff’s office said at the time.

Later in the month, a snowboarder at Schweitzer ski area in North Idaho died after he was missing for more than 20 hours, officials said.

This story was originally published January 21, 2022 at 10:29 AM with the headline "Missing skier found dead from hypothermia in out-of-bounds area in Idaho, cops say."