Billy Poole, professional extreme skier, died this afternoon after taking a fall in Big Cottonwood Canyon, located between Alta and Brighton ski resorts, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The 28 year old executed a jump and took a bad fall. He was taken to University Hospital and was pronounced dead at 1:30p.m.

Poole was filming with Warren Miller Entertainment out of Boulder, Colorado, when the accident occurred. A spokesman for the company said that they were gathering information and would make a statement later in the day.

Nathan Rafferty, president of Ski Utah, made the following comments:

“It’s really sad news. He was a phenomenal athlete and a great representative of Utah’s ski community.”

The skier was known as a hard worker on the slopes and was well liked on the ski circuit. He was highly regarded as an up and coming talented young athlete, according to Penn Newhard, a public relations specialist for Blackbone Media.

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Filed under: Across the Nation, sports