BRAINERD, Minn. — Minnesota native Corey Borg-Massanari died Monday from injuries suffered in an avalanche while skiing in New Mexico.
Borg-Massanari was being treated at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where he had been transported after the avalanche. He was identified by his family. The skier was one of two people rescued from an ocean of snow after the avalanche Thursday at Taos Ski Valley.
Dozens of rescuers, including skiers and snowboarders who witnessed the tragedy, searched the piled snow at the base of the chute and dug the two men out just before 1 p.m., according to the Brainerd Dispatch. They had been buried in snow for at least 20 minutes. Medics performed CPR and transported the men to Mogul Medical Clinic at the base of the resort before they were transported to hospitals.
Borg-Massanari moved to Vail, Colorado from Brainerd to attend Colorado Mountain College. He worked for an outdoor equipment company and as a zipline tour guide in the summer.
"Corey was known for his smile, his quirky sense of humor and his unique sense of style," according to a statement from his family. "He loved spending time with family and friends, and especially his fuzzy dog, Abu. Corey was an experienced and avid skier and loved the outdoors. He enjoyed camping, fishing, zip lining, snowmobiling, dirt biking and so much more. He liked working on his Jeep with his dad and learned the love of cooking from his mom."
His employer, Zip Adventures, posted a tribute on Facebook. "Corey, your number was called and though we are saddened we know you are already crushing the powder up Top with the Big Guy," it reads. "We miss you terribly but know we will reunite some day. We love you."
A GoFundMe page was set up on Jan. 19 by Nicole Klein, who writes that she is his aunt.
In about three days, the fundraising page has almost reached its $15,000 goal. The page was meant to "take financial stress away for the family and allow them to just focus on Corey."
The other victim, identified as 26-year-old Matthew Zonghetti of Massachusetts, was pronounced dead shortly after the avalanche.
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