Fire captain dies while snowboarding in Mount Baker wilderness area

A fire captain who served in Ferndale died while snowboarding Friday, March 1, after rescuers found him in a tree well near the Mt. Baker Ski Area. John Devenere, 63, was snowboarding in the wilderness area when his ski partner discovered he was missing. Other skiers were the first to respond, ski area CEO Gwyn Howat said. “The ones who happened to show up were … very skilled and very knowledgeable about rescue techniques in the backcountry,” Howat said. Ski patrol and emergency m