Torin Tucker ’15 died on Saturday while competing in a cross-country ski race in Craftsbury, Vt. Tucker, of Sun Valley, Idaho, was a member of the College’s Nordic ski team.
Tucker, 20, collapsed while competing in the 50-kilometer classic at the Craftsbury Nordic Center, and died at the scene, said Lucas Schulz ’08, a facilities engineer who handles snow maintenance at the Nordic Center.
The cause of his death is still under investigation, College spokesperson Justin Anderson said. Tucker began the race at 9 a.m. and collapsed at around 11:15 a.m. on his fourth and final lap of the 12.5-kilometer course, Schulz said.
Other skiers racing in the classic were the first to arrive at the scene. At least one competitor, Schultz said, began administering CPR within one or two minutes of Tucker’s collapse. Two competitors who stopped at the scene within a few minutes of Tucker’s collapse were doctors and began administering CPR as well, Schulz said.
No medical personnel were stationed in the area where Tucker collapsed, but race officials were quickly informed of the situation and deployed EMTs and first responders to the scene. Schulz arrived about 10 minutes after Tucker’s collapse with a first responder and two EMTs. A total of seven medical professionals worked to resuscitate Tucker, Schulz said. An ambulance and 911 responders also arrived at the scene.
When competitors and medical personnel arrived, Tucker was not breathing and had no pulse, Schulz said. One of the doctors at the scene pronounced Tucker dead after about 45 minutes of sustained CPR, Schulz said. Tucker was then brought to Curtis-Britch Funeral Home in Newport, Vt., Anderson said.
While the varsity Nordic team was competing in the University of Vermont Carnival in Stowe, Vt., multiple other non-varsity members of the team competed alongside Tucker in the 33rd Annual Craftsbury Marathon, College athletics spokesperson Rick Bender said.
Schulz said he notified the Dartmouth ski team members at the marathon of Tucker’s death when he returned to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s main area.
Varsity team members had finished competing in Stowe on Saturday when they were informed of the tragedy, Bender said. The ski team returned to campus by 6:30 p.m. on Saturday and did not compete in its remaining races in the UVM Carnival on Sunday, Anderson said.
College President Phil Hanlon announced Tucker’s death in an email to campus on Saturday evening. Undergraduate deans, counselors and clergy were available for counseling services in Robinson Hall on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Bender said Hanlon and athletic director Harry Sheehy have reached out to student-athletes and the Dartmouth community, and encouraged those who are in need to contact Safety and Security for counseling services.
Nine hundred men and women were registered to compete in the Craftsbury Marathon, which ran from Greensboro, Vt. to Craftsbury Common, Vt., according to the Nordic Center’s website.
Athletics department and Dean of the College staff are discussing the most thoughtful and appropriate way to honor Tucker, Anderson said. Bender said that no decision has been made regarding the Dartmouth Carnival, which is scheduled to begin on Friday.
The Dartmouth will publish an obituary of Torin Tucker ’15 later this week.If you would like to share a memory please contact news@thedartmouth.com.
