A 23-year-old snowboarder on Thursday died after crashing into a snow fence at Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort near Lake Tahoe, according to NBC affiliate KCRA.
David Karlin, who was a student at Sacramento State University, was snowboarding down an intermediate trail when he lost control, veered off the trail and slammed into the fence, according to KCRA. Witnesses said Karlin was not wearing a helmet.
Tony Gonzalez, one of Karlin's friends, was with Karlin on the mountain at the time of the crash.
"I take a left, look and I just see him just fly like so fast, straight into the pole," Gonzalez told KCRA. "I've never seen anything like what I saw, like his body just turned into spaghetti and I saw his legs flap around the pole."
Gonzalez jumped in to perform CPR, but it wasn't enough.
"He was such a pure soul and wasn't taken for no reason," Gonzalez said.
Colleen Karlin, David's mother, remembers her son as being the life of the party who also practiced compassion for the less fortunate. People knew David for donating football gear to children in need as well as sharing a meal with the homeless.
California
"That was David," Colleen Karlin told KCRA. "He was like, 'Mom, I got this kid that's homeless, can he stay here?' And I'm like, 'Oh boy.'"
The ski resort issued the following statement to KCRA:
"Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort management and staff would like to extend their deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the snowboarder. Everyone at the resort understands what a personal tragedy this is for the family and has and will continue to offer support in any way possible."
