Snowboarder dies at China Peak ski resort
By Robert Rodriguez, Fresno Bee
A day after a 29-year-old Fresno man died at the China Peak ski area, the Fresno County Coroner’s Office is working to determine the cause of death.
Fresno County Coroner Dr. David Hadden said the autopsy of Peter Eli Shelby was expected to be completed Wednesday evening, but it may be the end of next week before he receives toxicology results.
Shelby was found Tuesday about 2:30 p.m. near one of the resort’s ski runs in deep, powdery snow near a tree.
About 50 people, including members of the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office search-and-rescue team and trained volunteers, began searching for Shelby on Monday night after a friend reported him missing about 3:30 p.m.
The two had spent the day snowboarding at the east Fresno County ski area, said sheriff’s spokesman Chris Curtice.
“At one point, the friend was going back up the hill when Shelby zipped by him and [the friend] thought he would see him at the bottom of the hill,” Curtice said. “But he never found him again.”
Tim Cohee, owner of China Peak, said that while he does not know how Shelby died, it’s always important to ski with a friend, especially in areas of new, deep snow.
“Snowboarding is adventurous, and it’s always thrilling to find new terrain,” Cohee said. “But you have to be in control and ski with a friend in case something happens.”
