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Pennsylvania man dies from Whiteface skiing injuries

Whiteface Mountain looms large over Connery Pond in December 2018. (News photo — Justin A. Levine)

WILMINGTON – A 21-year-old from Pennsylvania has died from injuries he suffered at Whiteface Mountain Ski Center last week.

Nicholas Koch of Danville, Pennsylvania, was injured after skiing down the Lower Northway trail and striking a cluster of trees, according to New York State Police. He later died at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont.

He was visiting the ski area with family, police say. The accident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Employees at Whiteface attended to Koch until Wilmington emergency medical personnel arrived, according to State Police. He was later transported to the UVM Medical Center.

This accident is still under investigation by State Police.

Koch, in his obituary, is described as an “avid outdoorsman,” who “enjoyed biking, hiking, skiing and water sports.

“He was gifted with a love of numbers and was an aspiring entrepreneur,” his obituary reads. “He died living life to the fullest.”

Koch would have turned 22 on Jan. 25. He was born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, to father Duane Koch and mother Shannon Mickley Koch, both of Danville. He graduated from Berwick High School in Berwick, Pennsylvania, in 2016. He was enrolled in college at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.

His family has suggested that donations in Koch’s honor be made to the Danville Health Alliance at 620 Mill St., Danville, PA 17821. Those donations, his obituary says, will be given to a charity honoring his legacy.

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