After suffering injuries in the X Games a week ago, snowmobiler Caleb Moore passed away Thursday morning at the age of 25.
Moore marks the first death in the Winter X Games, but the tragedy raises a multitude of questions regarding safety. ESPN noted that they will conduct a review of the snowmobiling discipline and see if any changes need to be implemented.
“Still, when the world’s best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain,” ESPN said in a statement released Thursday. “Caleb was a four-time X Games medalist attempting a move he has landed several times previously.”
During the snowmobile freestyle final at Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colo., on Jan. 24, Moore suffered a concussion after his attempt at a backflip went awry. Moore was knocked off of the vehicle in the process with the skis of the sled landing on him.
Moore managed to get up and walk away with help, but after going to a hospital to treat the concussion he suffered, he developed bleeding around his heart. He was then flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction to undergo emergency surgery. On Sunday, a family spokeswoman announced that he had endured a brain complication.
Moore was viewed as a rising star in snowmobiling as he won four Winter X games medals, most notably a bronze last season as his younger brother, Colten, went home with the gold.
Photo via Facebook/CalebMooreFMX
