39-year-old man dead in New Hampshire skiing accident
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(JACKSON, NH) — A 39-year-old man has died in a skiing accident after going off a trail he had been traversing near a ski resort in New Hampshire, police said.
The incident happened on Sunday at the Black Mountain ski area in Jackson, New Hampshire, at approximately 5:51 p.m. when Officer Mike Mosher of the Jackson Police Department responded to a report of a skiing accident from a passerby, according to a statement from the Jackson Police Department.
“The initial report was that a skier had gone off the trail and was seriously injured,” authorities said.
However, when police arrived on the scene, they discovered that the situation was worse than previously reported.
“Mountain ski patrol reported to ‘Upper Maple Slalom’ trail to aid the patient,” police said. “The area of the accident was near the summit. Upon arrival they found an unresponsive adult male with significant injuries on the edge of the snow line to the left of the trail.”
Life saving measures were immediately put into effect as authorities evacuated the man — identified as 39-year-old Eric Page of Bartlett, New Hampshire – to the base area.
“Additional life-saving efforts were provided by Bartlett Jackson ambulance personnel but were unsuccessful and the patient was declared deceased,” police said.
The crash was unwitnessed, according to the Jackson Police Department.
“The New Hampshire medical examiner’s office was notified and ordered the decedent to be taken to Furber and White Funeral Services in North Conway, New Hampshire,” authorities said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
(SAN FRANCISCO) — A disturbing avian mystery is unfolding in a Northern California town where residents have reported birds “exploding.”
Residents of a neighborhood in the Bay Area community of Richmond, northeast of San Francisco, claim they have found multiple dead birds in their yards on their street. Security cameras even recorded one fowl’s fatality, showing it falling to its death from a power line after a loud pop was captured in the footage.
Richmond resident Maximillian Bolling said he witnessed several birds succumb to a horrible death after perching on power lines.
“So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it’s really violent,” Bolling told ABC San Francisco station KGO-TV.
Bolling said he and his neighbors have now counted at least 13 birds that have met a baffling demise.
As the casualties have mounted, locals have speculated on everything from the birds being electrocuted by power lines to a phantom serial bird killer being on the loose.
Another resident, Sharon Anderson, a self-described “animal lover,” told KGO-TV that seeing the birds drop dead has been heartbreaking.
“It was just horrifying,” Anderson said.
The wildlife mystery began several months ago when the first birds turned up dead, according to residents.
The California State Department of Fish and Wildlife has launched an investigation, a spokesperson for the agency told ABC News on Monday.
Some residents have alleged that power lines in the area that belong to the Pacific Gas & Electric Company have something to do with the deaths and have pleaded with the utility company to do something to rectify the problem.
But PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian told ABC News on Monday that an investigation has uncovered no evidence that its power lines are the culprit.
“We appreciate the concern of our customers in Richmond about the recent series of bird deaths,” PG&E said in an additional statement to ABC News.
PG&E said it sent crews to examine a power pole in the Richmond neighborhood that residents have cited as the possible root of the lethal problem. The company said the power pole in question is compliant with avian safe guidance established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee.
The utility company said it asked the Department of Fish & Wildlife to evaluate two of the bird corpses and that the examinations indicated foul play.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Health Lab confirmed to ABC News it had received two dead birds — a mourning dove and a European starling — and that injuries were consistent with trauma from a pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot not electrocution from power lines, but said “the exact cause of the trauma to all of these birds could not be determined.”
Neighbors have also asked the Contra County Sheriff’s Office to look into this situation. The sheriff’s office did not respond to a request from ABC News for comment.
Bolling said he and his neighbors just want to deaths to stop.
“It’s very traumatic, super traumatic to see this,” Bolling said.
(NEW YORK) — The wing of a Delta plane struck the runway as it was coming in for a landing at LaGuardia Airport on Sunday evening, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
At approximately 10:10 p.m. on Sunday, the plane’s “left wing struck the runway while landing” and the pilots then “executed a go-around,” according to the FAA.
A go-around is a safe, routine maneuver where the pilot discontinues the landing approach and returns the aircraft to an altitude to safely make another landing attempt.
The plane, a CRJ-900 aircraft, was traveling on its regularly scheduled service from Jacksonville, Florida, to New York City, according to Delta.
On air traffic control audio, the controller told the pilot, “Somebody saw some sparks from one of your wings, you guys feel anything?” The pilot responded, “We didn’t, but we’ll check it.”
The flight was operated by Endeavor, the same regional carrier as the Delta plane that crashed while landing in while landing in Toronto in February. The plane in that incident was also a CRJ-900.
The 76 passengers, two pilots and two flight attendants on board Flight 4814 were unharmed, with no injuries reported, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the three major New York City area airports.
“We apologize to our customers for the experience,” Delta said in a statement.
The airline said the plane has been taken out of service while maintenance teams evaluate and did not indicate when the aircraft will return to flying.
The incident also did not cause an impact to airport operations, according to the Port Authority.
The FAA is continuing to investigate the situation.
(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — The Florida State University community is reeling and police are searching for a motive after a gunman opened fire on the Tallahassee campus on Thursday, killing two and injuring six.
Tallahassee police have laid out how the shooting unfolded.
The suspect, 20-year-old FSU student Phoenix Ikner, arrived at a campus parking garage at about 11 a.m. and stayed in the area for around an hour, moving in and out of his car, police said.
Ikner left the garage at 11:51 a.m., police said, and then between 11:56 and 11:57 a.m. he started firing a handgun, police said. The shooting was reported to 911 by 11:58 a.m., police said.
At noon, Ikner was shot by officers and taken into custody, police said. He’s expected to survive and remains hospitalized as of Saturday morning.
“When I heard what had happened, I was frantic — thought he might be the one hurt. And then when I found out it was him I just collapsed at work,” Ikner’s biological mother, Anne-Mari Eriksen, told ABC News on Friday in her first comments since the shooting. “There’s so much that needs to be said about this, but I just can’t talk without crying. We need time to process all this.”
One slain victim was identified as Tiru Chabba, a 45-year-old husband and father of two who was an employee of a campus vendor.
“Chabba’s family is going through the unimaginable now,” their family attorney Bakari Sellers said in a statement. “Instead of hiding Easter eggs and visiting with friends and family, they’re living a nightmare.”
The other victim was identified as Robert Morales.
Morales was formerly an assistant football coach at Leon High School, where he demonstrated “dedication, integrity, and a true passion for mentoring young athletes,” Leon High Athletics said in a statement.
“His commitment to the game and to shaping the lives of his players extended far beyond the field,” the statement said. “His legacy of leadership, compassion, and service will forever remain a part of the Leon Lions tradition.”
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare officials said the hospital received six patients, all in stable condition.
All six are expected to make full recoveries and two of them may be released on Friday, officials said.
Officials revealed that the suspect’s stepmother, Jessica Ikner, is a current deputy with the local Leon County Sheriff’s Office. While authorities identified Jessica Ikner as the suspect’s mother, court documents indicate she is his stepmother.
Phoenix Ikner had access to one of his stepmother’s personal guns, which was one of the weapons found at the scene, Sheriff Walter McNeil said. He is still in the hospital and will not be charged or arraigned until he is discharged, police said. He’s also invoked his right to remain silent.
Jessica Ikner — who was on duty as a school resource officer at a middle school at the time of the shooting — has taken an indefinite personal leave of absence, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said it’s launched an internal investigation, but so far has not found any signs that the veteran deputy violated any policies.
In a statement to the Florida State University community, President Richard McCullough called the shooting a “tragic and senseless act of violence.”
FSU canceled classes and sporting events through the weekend, but said classes and business operations will resume Monday.
“Our hearts are heavy after the tragedy that took place April 17,” McCullough said in a statement Saturday. “We are grieving with the families and friends who lost someone they love. And we are with all those who were injured and are now recovering. This has shaken all of us, and I want you to know: We are here for you.”
The university said it was offering mental health support services and other counseling services for students and employees.
President Donald Trump said Thursday he has an “obligation to protect” the Second Amendment when asked by a reporter in the Oval Office if he sees anything “broken” with America’s current gun laws.
“Look, I’m a big advocate of the Second Amendment. I have been from the beginning. I protected it, and these things are terrible, but the gun doesn’t do the shooting. The people do. It’s a phrase that’s used probably too often,” Trump said.
“I will tell you that it’s a shame,” he said of the shooting.
ABC News’ Alex Faul, Faith Abubey and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.
