SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — An annual vacation to the snow for a group of friends from San Diego turned horrific during a snowmobile tour in Mammoth Mountain.
When Peter Song, 27, arrived in Mammoth Lakes last Wednesday for an annual pilgrimage to the show, he and six friends, all graduates of Kearny High were full of anticipation.
“He was thrilled, because the snow’s been crazy in Mammoth. He’s never really experienced powder like they have right now,” said close friend Bryant Moss.
Moss says the next day, they booked a snowmobile tour.
A photo of Song taken just before the crash shows him wearing his helmet, with a GoPro camera mounted on the helmet.
As the group went out that afternoon, Moss' brother was riding just ahead of Song.
About a half hour in, the snow picked up.
“The snow conditions got to the point where it was completely a whiteout, so you couldn’t see … so you had to slow down,” said Moss.
Then, about an hour into the ride, Moss got a call.
“My brother gave me call, super panicked. He says, ‘I don’t know where Peter is,’” said Moss.
Moss says after many long minutes, the tour guide found Song critically injured after crashing into a tree.
“Distraught. I wanted to break down. I wanted to cry,” said Moss.
Moss says search and rescue crews carried Song to the ambulance. Later, he was airlifted to a Reno hospital from an airport.
“He actually did die during transport, and had to be resuscitated. Very scary,” said Moss.
A brain bleed led to emergency surgery. He developed pneumonia. Song suffered a host of broken bones, including a spinal fracture. He remains in critical condition.
“We don't know about his legs, but he has been able to give kind of a thumbs-up, according to his sister,” said Moss.
While the GoPro footage shows the crash, Song's family has declined to release it. Moss has seen it.
“At one point, he lost control ... and straight into a tree. Not sure what happened. It didn't look like he was speeding,” said Moss.
“It was supposed to be a fun vacation for all of us … It turned into absolutely a nightmare. Didn’t expect this to happen to our best friend,” said Moss.
Moss says Song, who splits his time between Santa Barbara and San Diego, could be moved back to San Diego so his friends could support his long recovery.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help with medical and other expenses.
