Crystal Mountain, WA – An employee of Washington State’s Crystal Mountain ski area died in an incident last week when the vehicle in which he was riding rolled down the mountainside.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department reports that Kopi Ford, 40, of Kirkland, Wash., was in a Jeep Wrangler with two fellow employees at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday  when it rolled several times, coming to rest near the Lucky Shot ski run. All three occupants were thrown from the vehicle, and because of its remote location the incident was not discovered until Thursday morning.

Sheriff’s officials indicate that they’re investigating whether or not the employees were permitted to have a personal vehicle on the mountain. Ford was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he succumbed to his injuries.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own,” Crystal Mountain officials acknowledged in a prepared statement published to Facebook. “Our hearts and prayers go out to the family, friends and loved ones of the three employees who were involved in a tragic accident last night. Our mountain family is mourning, yet we are thankful for the two lives that were spared. A painful reminder that the mountains which provide us so much joy, can also cause devastation and grief.”