Paul Melby, a 40-year-old man from Lakewood in Washington, took his ski wear to the slopes of Crystal Mountain on March 1st and was last seen skiing by himself on the mountain's High Campbell area, a known spot for advanced skiers.
Repeated attempts were made by search and rescue teams to find the missing skiing enthusiast, however the searches were not successful. The mission was temporarily abandoned, but started again at the beginning of June as the deep snow began to melt.
Last Wednesday afternoon the body of the man was discovered in dense woods known to locals as the 'Mine Shaft' at an elevation of around 5,600 feet by an employee who was skiing through the woods and spotted Melby's skis and semi-buried body amongst the trees, said Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol director Paul Baugher.
His remains were discovered in a tree well and it is presumed he fell in whilst skiing and suffocated. The conditions on the day he went missing have been said to be treacherous: stormy and with heavy snowfall.
Baugher went on to say, "This didn't fit the profile where he would go, but the problem is when you're not with anybody you can be anywhere. A guy like that can ski anything.
“The message is not to ski alone. This could have had a different outcome if he'd had someone there," he continued. "When you're by yourself, there's no margin for error. Our thoughts are with all of Melby’s friends and family as they finally get to say goodbye. He will be deeply missed.”
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