9-year-old skier rescued from tree well at Stevens Pass after breaking leg
Jan 29, 2026, 6:00 AM
A photo of 9-year-old Ronan stuck in a steep tree well with rescuers working to pull him out. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A 9-year-old boy was pulled from a steep tree well at Stevens Pass after a terrifying crash that left him with a broken leg.
Ronan’s mom, Heather Glude, told KIRO 7 they were skiing together over the weekend.
“There was a jump that was like this and super long,” 9-year-old Ronan said. “I lost control after I went over it.”
Glude said she was skiing right behind him when she looked away for just a couple of seconds. Before she knew it, he was gone.
“I heard people from the chairlift above yelling something about a kid in the trees, and my heart just dropped like, ‘Oh my god,’ and I skied as fast as I could, and I could kind of see where they were pointing,” Glude said.
Photos from the scene showed Ronan stuck in a steep tree well with rescuers working to pull him out. It was all hands on deck.
“I was screaming. I broke my leg and then I was too scared to remember,” Ronan said.
Ski patrol stabilized his leg after he broke both bones in his lower leg. After X-rays at the hospital, they learned he brokehis tibia and fibula.
“My leg was just like this. And then I laid down, and then everything else was a blur,” he said.
Glude praised the ski patrol’s response.
“The ski patrol did such a good job, both technically and just in being really warm and caring and making sure that he felt as safe as possible in that situation, too,” she said.
Heather and her family are well-seasoned on the slopes, but she said tree wells can trap even experienced skiers.
“If you’re not skiing with a buddy or someone doesn’t see it happen, you can be gone before anyone even knows that you’re missing,” she said.
She’s grateful that wasn’t the case for Ronan, thanks to the strangers who spotted him and helped with the rescue.
“The mountain community always pulls together and it was just amazing to see that happen,” Glude said.
Ronan is expected to get his cast off in about six weeks, but he’s already excited to get back on the slopes next season.
