A 55-year-old Cochrane man is dead after crashing into a tree at the Nakiska ski resort on Boxing Day.
The man has been identified as Rick Butler, Deputy Reeve with Rocky View County Council.
According to Stuart Brideaux, public education officer with EMS, Butler sustained traumatic chest injuries as a result of a collision on one of the runs at the hill. He was pronounced dead early Monday afternoon at Foothills hospital in Calgary.
“It was quite an effort to get him down the hill, as he was in an awkward position when he struck the tree,” Brideaux said.
Nakiska ski patrol transported the man to the base of the hill, where he was listed in serious but stable condition. Kananaskis Public Safety picked him up and transported him to the Stoney Nakoda Casino, where STARS air ambulance was waiting to pick him up.
However, Butler’s condition worsened and the paramedics and a nurse from STARS jumped into the ground ambulance to try and stabilize his condition while driving to Calgary. Three paramedics, a nurse and firefighter all assisted Butler while his condition deteriorated.
“His condition was changed from serious to life threatening, which was his condition when he was taken to Foothills,” Brideaux said.
Butler was the executive director of the Calgary Regional Partnership for seven years, and served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Municipal and Community Affairs in the Yukon. He’s also served as Chief Administrative Officer for several municipalities and First Nations in Alberta, British Columbia and the Northern Territories.
He was elected to Rocky View council in 2010. An avid skier and traveler, Butler visited 65 countries during his adventures.
