Incident Details

Incident Details

• When & Where: On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, around 2:30 p.m. (local time), Drew Youngquist was involved in a fatal accident while snowboarding in the advanced “Front Valley” terrain park at Perisher Ski Resort, located near Jindabyne in New South Wales, Australia News.com.auTeton Gravity Researchsnowymountainsnews.com.au.

• What Happened: He collided with a padded pole while navigating the terrain park, which features high-level jumps and rails News.com.ausnowymountainsnews.com.auSnowBrains.

• Response: Emergency teams—including Perisher Ski Patrol, NSW Ambulance, and local authorities—responded immediately, even dispatching a helicopter. Despite their efforts, Drew was pronounced dead at the scene News.com.ausnowymountainsnews.com.auSnowBrains.

• Follow-Up: NSW Police are preparing a full report for the coroner to further investigate the incident News.com.ausnowymountainsnews.com.au.

Who Was Drew Youngquist?

• Background:

  • A 22-year-old American student from Salt Lake City, Utah, originally part of the pre-med and wilderness EMS program at the University of Utah KPCWTeton Gravity ResearchSnowBrains.

  • He had a strong background in mountain safety, ski patrolling, and emergency response, including avalanche rescue certification News.com.auTeton Gravity ResearchSnowBrains.

• University & Career:

  • Youngquist was on track to graduate with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Emergency Medical Services, specializing in Wilderness Technical Rescue, and was aiming to become a physician Teton Gravity ResearchSnowBrains7NEWS.

  • He had recently worked as ski patrol and medical staff at the Utah Olympic Park, contributing significantly to his local outdoor and emergency communities KPCWTeton Gravity Researchsnowboarder.com.

  • Since May/June 2025, he had been living in Australia, working with Action Learning Initiatives, an outdoor education company in Jindabyne News.com.ausnowymountainsnews.com.auSnowBrains.

• Personal Attributes:

  • Colleagues and friends described Drew as a warm, energetic, and outdoors-loving young man who brought joy and passion wherever he went News.com.auDaily Telegraphsnowymountainsnews.com.au.

  • He had shared on LinkedIn his lifelong skiing journey—from learning at Snowbasin under his father’s guidance to teaching himself to snowboard, and later embracing ski touring and rescue certifications News.com.auDaily TelegraphTeton Gravity Research7NEWS.

  • Perisher Resort and Vail Resorts extended heartfelt sympathies, recognizing the depth of this loss for both his family and the outdoor community News.com.auDaily Telegraphsnowymountainsnews.com.au.

Summary Snapshot