KIRKWOOD, Calif. — A 25-year-old man from Corona, California, died Saturday after sustaining severe head injuries in a snowboarding accident at Kirkwood Mountain Resort. The Alpine County Sheriff and Coroner’s Office identified the man as Roman Lacayo.
Deputies responded to the incident around 12:20 p.m. on an intermediate trail near Chair 4, also known as the Sunrise chairlift. Lacayo was transported to the Barton Medical Clinic at the resort’s base area, where he was pronounced dead at 12:49 p.m.
Ricky Newberry, vice president and general manager of Kirkwood Mountain Resort, expressed condolences, stating,
“On behalf of the full team here at Kirkwood, we extend our deepest sympathy and support to the guest’s … .”
Lacayo had recently graduated from a fire academy in Southern California and aspired to become a firefighter. His father, Nathan Clardy, shared,
“On Thursday, we did his first application for a department he was looking at trying to get hired with.”
Clardy emphasized his son’s passion for snowboarding and urged others to wear helmets, noting that Lacayo was not wearing one at the time of the accident.
A GoFundMe page has been established to assist the family with funeral expenses. The page describes Lacayo as having
“adventurous spirit, kind heart, and infectious smile brought joy to everyone who knew him … .”
