US student dies in snowboarding accident at Perisher Ski Resort months after arriving in Australia for work

An American student has died in a snowboarding accident at Australia’s largest ski resort.

Drew Youngquist, 22, was snowboarding at Perisher Ski Resort in the Snowy Mountains, south of Sydney, when he crashed into a padded pole about 2.30pm on Tuesday.

Paramedics treated him but he could not be saved.

According to Youngquist’s LinkedIn profile, he arrived in Australia in May to work as seasonal winter operations staff for an outdoor education company based in Jindabyne, about 30km east of the resort.

He was a student at the University of Utah, studying emergency medical services, with aspirations of becoming “a physician who doesn’t just treat symptoms”.

“I want to listen, to understand, and to seek out others’ stories,” he wrote.

Before coming to Australia, Youngquist had worked as ski patrol and medical staff at Utah Olympic Park, where his duties included managing injuries on ski slopes.

Perisher vice president and general manager Nathan Butterworth said the resort was devastated by the news.

“Perisher Ski Resort, Ski Patrol, and the entire Vail Resorts family extend our deepest sympathy and support to our guest’s family and friends,” he said.

NSW Police said Youngquist’s family in the US has been informed and a report will be prepared for the coroner.