A Santa Barbara County Fire Department firefighter has been identified by authorities as the skier who died after crashing into a tree at China Peak on Saturday.
Around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, deputies responded to the China Peak Mountain Resort for a report of an injured skier.
Officials say Santa Barbara firefighter, Joseph De Anda, 33 of San Luis Obispo, had crashed into a tree while skiing and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to deputies, De Anda was traveling down a ski run with friends when he struck a tree. Officials say although he was wearing a helmet, “his injuries were too significant and he was not able to survive.”
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department said in a Facebook post on Sunday that De Anda started at their department in 2020 with years of experience as both a paramedic and county dispatcher.