Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after a snowboarder was found dead at Blue Mountain Resort in Collingwood, Ont.
Taylor Ogram, a 20-year-old from Caledon, was found with life-threatening injuries in a wooded area beside the ski hill near the South Base lodge around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to the OPP. Mr. Ogram, who was wearing a helmet, was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
"The situation and the circumstances which led to him being there are something that we're trying to determine, so our investigation is continuing with respect to that," said OPP Sergeant Peter Leon.
On Tuesday evening, Mr. Ogram, who was staying at one of the resort's hotels with friends, had dinner with his group and then went back on the hill for some evening snowboarding, Sgt. Leon said. However, his friends grew worried when he didn't show up for their planned 10 p.m. meet-up at one of the resort's bars.
The group enlisted hotel and security staff to help search for Mr. Ogram and the OPP was called in to help. Two workers found him shortly after police arrived.
"It's hard to determine when the incident may have taken place and that's something that we'll have to try to find out as well as part of our investigation," Sgt. Leon said, adding that investigators planned to review the resort's security footage. "It is entirely possible that the incident took place well in advance of the ski hill closing at 10 o'clock."
The Caledon Enterprise newspaper, which said Mr. Ogram was the son of a circulation manager, said he was studying engineering at Western University.
Blue Mountain opened as usual on Wednesday, but the OPP closed the Sunrise run as part of the investigation.
"It is an ongoing OPP investigation. We'd like to refrain from comment just out of respect for the process and the family," said Ashley Boland, a resort spokeswoman.