Hunter, NY – Hunter Mountain is facing an $8,500 federal fine over the death of an employee of the Catskill Mountains ski and snowboard resort last winter.

Brian Mattice, 41, of Gilboa, N.Y., was a snowmaker working on the Milky Way ski run at Hunter Mountain when he slipped on ice and fell 200 feet to his death among rocks and trees on the morning of Jan. 18, 2012. In reaching their decision to impose the fine, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that Hunter Mountain officials failed to properly train employees in the use of spiked footwear used to provide traction on ice, and didn’t require employees on the mountain to carry two-way radios to summon help in the event of an emergency. OSHA classified both violations as “serious.”

Hunter Mountain officials have three weeks to respond to the OSHA report, and have indicated that they’ll appeal the organization’s findings.