Bellingham skier dies in deep-snow backcountry accident near Mount Baker
A skier in the backcountry area of Mount Baker and Snoqualmie National Park died after falling head-first into deep snow and suffocating, according to Dr. Aldo Fusaro, Chief Medical Examiner for Whatcom County.
Fusaro confirmed the deceased as John Wells, 43, of Bellingham. His LinkedIn profile states that he is “marketing director for 542 Productions, owner of my-line website, semi-pro skier.”
Wells’ skiing partners contacted search and rescue teams around noon Feb. 5. They were able to pull him from the snow and start performing CPR. There was an initial request for a Search and Rescue team, though it was not activated, according to Deb Slater with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
Wells produced the following skiing video in 2018. It was featured on the website of ski-gear retailer Flylow.
Editor’s note (Feb. 24): This article has been updated to correct the role of Search and Rescue. A team was requested but never activated.
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM.
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