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77-year-old skier dies after allegedly getting forced off trail in Aspen

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Created on Thursday, 20 January 2011 13:54

Written by Nathan

By SCOTT CONDON, ASPEN TIMES

ASPEN — A 77-year-old man died of cardiac arrest Tuesday after he struggled to get out of deep snow on the side of a ski trail at Snowmass, according to authorities.

Before he died, Thomas Berglund, of Kalamazoo, Mich., told a good Samaritan that he had been run off the trail by another skier or rider.

“He said he was forced off the trail by a ‘kid,'” said Philip Shalen of Snowmass Village, who assisted the victim.

Also: Florida woman injured after skiing into parked snowmobile

Shalen was snowshoeing up Snowmass and was on the lower Green Cabin trail shortly before 12:30 p.m. when he heard cries for help. He said he found Berglund in an awkward position in deep snow but uninjured. He was on a short, steep section of terrain off to the skier's right of the trail. Berglund was on his side with his skis on, one leg pressed against a tree.

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