Caleb Moore died from his injuries that he suffered after an accident at the Winter X Games in Aspen. What measures need to be taken so this never happens again?
Moore died on Thursday after he was critically injured after coming up short on a jump in the Snowmobile Freestyle finals. The crash occurred when Moore was attempting to pull a backflip and came up short, making the vehicle flip over on top of him as he went over the handlebars.
Moore was 25-years-old and died from the injuries he sustained in a crash during a snowmobile competition. He is the first athlete in 17 years to die in the Winter X Games. Moore was attempting to do a backflip late in his run and came up short, with the vehicle falling over on top of him after sliding down the ramp.
Family spokeswoman Chelsea Lawson released a statement announcing Moore's death, which occurred Thursday morning, but the family declined to release any other details of his injuries. Moore first suffered a concussion after the crash and was then found to have bleeding on his heart after being evaluated. A family spokeswoman announced on Sunday that he'd suffered a "brain complication."
Moore was from Krum, Texas and began his career on ATV vehicles and in competitions before moving to snowmobiles.
Competitor Levi LaVallee on Tuesday. "The only thing we can do is we can look at that and learn from it and look at how we can try to prevent that. Other than that, you look at it, what happened to him, was an accident. He's done that trick multiple times. He's practiced. He's done everything he can to prevent that."
Added Daniel Bodin, a fellow competitor and Moore's close friend, "Ten years ago we didn't have foam pits, and it was just a couple of guys who had the foam pits. So everything is much safer now days. But still we keep pushing harder and harder, and everyone wants that gold medal. Everyone wants to be the best in the world. We're trying as much as we can ... It's tough out there. We're just pushing so much."
ESPN released a statement Tuesday that said, "We've worked closely on safety issues with athletes, course designers and other experts for each of the 18 years of X Games. Still, when the world's best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain. Caleb is a four-time X Games medalist who fell short on his rotation on a move he has landed several times previously."
Video showed Moore on the snow for a few minutes on the ground before he was able to get up and off the track. He was rushed to Aspen Valley Hospital with a concussion, according to an X Games Medical report. While there, doctors discovered bleeding around Moore's heart and he was flown to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo.
Moore had to go through heart surgery on Friday and was in intensive care before he passed away.
Moore's younger brother Colten Moore, 23, also competed in the Snowmobile Freestyle finals and crashed during the X Games competition but his injury was not serious and did not need surgery. The elder Moore is originally from Krum, Texas and has three Winter X Games medals, including last year's bronze in the Snowmobile Freestyle.
There was also another accident during the games, as a snowmobile flipped over and ran off on its own, crashing into a crowd on the side of one of the Aspen slopes. There were no serious injuries. Moore began his career with ATV racing and competitions.
Moore suffered brain and head injuries and is now the first X Games competitor to die in a competition.
