PICTURED: A 29-year-old Utah ski resort worker was killed after a fallen tree was thrown into a ski lift

One employee at a Utah ski resort who died in a chairlift accident Monday was a 29-year-old ski patrolman from Millcreek, Utah.

Christian Helger died after being thrown from a chairlift that was rocked by a tree that fell on a lift cable, Summit County Sheriff Justin Martinez said Wednesday.

“Our prayers are with the Helger family as they mourn the loss of Christian,” Martinez said in a statement Wednesday.

Park City Mountain and Summit County Sheriff officials believe Helger fell at least 25 feet from the Short Cut chairlift into a deep ravine at about 11:25 a.m

It took ski patrol members at least 20 minutes to reach Helger and dig him out of what MPs described as “chest-deep snow” before attempting to treat him.

Christian Helger, 29, a Park City Mountain employee, died Monday morning in Utah after being thrown from a chairlift that was rocked by a tree that fell on an elevator cable

Park City Mountain and Summit County Sheriff officials believe Helger fell at least 25 feet from the Short Cut chairlift into a deep ravine around 11:25 a.m. Monday

According to a statement released Wednesday by the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association, Helger was returning to his station after a morning of avalanche response work when the accident happened.

Investigators said they believe a pine tree fell onto the chairlift cable behind the chair he was riding in, causing nearby chairs to bounce so hard that he fell out.

Summit County Sheriff’s Capt. Andrew Wright told KSL-TV Tuesday that Helger fell into difficult-to-reach terrain.

“It wasn’t past one run,” Wright said Tuesday. “There was a ravine where he fell. It was at least 20 minutes from what we were told before the ski patrol got down there, dug him out of the snow and began life saving operations.

Ski patrols said they worked for hours to free Helger’s body in what they called avalanche-prone terrain. Other patrols safely evacuated 10 riders from the lift and escorted them out of the challenging area.

The ski patrol union declined to comment on the condition of the lift cable and surrounding trees, according to KPCW. The union said in its statement that any casualty was incredibly difficult for patrols, but the response to a fatal accident involving one of their own was “truly unfathomable”.

The exact cause of death is determined by the coroner’s office.

Helger was returning to his station after a morning of avalanche response work when the accident occurred, the Park City Professional Ski Patrol Association said Wednesday

Helger is described by relatives as an “incredible climber and person”.

There has been an outpouring of love and heartfelt messages on Helger’s social media accounts, which feature a plethora of photos of the adventurous skier and climber. His Instagram account bio reads: “Alive to work and play outside”

Wright said the department’s investigation could consider variables such as snow, tree health and tree proximity to the lift.

“Surely a lot of questions will come into play as to what led to this happening. Yes, there was a lot of snow. There could be other factors — the health of the tree, the proximity of the tree, all those types of things,” Wright said.

For now, Park City Mountain Resort is keeping the Short Cut chairlift closed and is working with its staff to help them with whatever they need.

“These ski patrols in particular are really closely related,” Wright said.

The survey may consider variables such as snow, tree health, and proximity to the lift

For now, Park City Mountain Resort is keeping the Short Cut chairlift closed and is working with its staff to help them with whatever they need

There has been an outpouring of love and heartfelt messages on Helger’s social media accounts, which feature a plethora of photos of the adventurous skier and climber. His bio on Instagram reads, “Alive to work and play outside.”

“I lost my nephew Christian in a terrible, tragic accident this week,” a family member wrote. “Words cannot express the sadness we all feel – our hearts are broken. We love you Christian and will never forget your incredible smile!!!’

Another loved one described Helger as an “incredible climber and human being” and shared photos of the worker scaling the sides of the cliffs.

As record snowfall continues in Utah, Park City has gained 56 inches over the past week.

Elevator maintenance crews have been in a labor dispute with the resort for the past year, demanding higher wages, safer working conditions and more efforts to retain experienced mechanics.