[Faline]

DENVER -- Caleb Moore, an innovative freestyle snowmobile rider who was hurt in a dramatic crash at the Winter X Games in Colorado, died Thursday morning. He was 25.
Moore had been staying at a hospital in Grand Junction since the crash in Aspen one week before. Family spokeswoman Chelsea Lawson confirmed his death, the first in the 18 year history of the X Games, which is produced by ESPN.
A former all-terrain vehicle racer, Moore switched over to snowmobiles as a teenager and quickly rose to the top of the sport. He won four Winter X Games medals, including a bronze last season when his younger brother, Colten, captured gold.
Caleb Moore was attempting a backflip Jan. 24 in the freestyle event when the skis on his 450-pound snowmobile caught the lip of the landing area, sending him flying over the handlebars. Moore landed face first into the snow with his snowmobile rolling over him.
Moore stayed down for quite some time, before walking off with help and going to a hospital to treat a concussion. Moore developed bleeding around his heart and was flown to a hospital in Grand Junction for surgery. The family later said that Moore, of Krum, Texas, also had a complication involving his brain.
Colten Moore was injured in a separate crash that same night. He suffered a separated pelvis in the spill.
The family said in a statement they were grateful for all the prayers and support they have received from people around the world.
X Games officials expressed their condolences and said Moore, a four-time X Games medalist, would be remembered "for his natural passion for life and his deep love for his family and friends."
B.C. Vaught, Caleb Moore's agent for almost a decade, said he first saw Moore when he was racing an ATV in Minnesota and signed him up to star in some action sports movies.
Later, Moore wanted to make the switch from ATVs to snowmobiles and asked Vaught to show him how to do a back-flip. In two weeks, Moore mastered the difficult maneuver.
Moore's brother also got involved in snowmobiling, the close-knit duo pushing each other to become better.
Moore honed his skills in Krum, a town about 5,000 people 50 miles northwest of Dallas that rarely sees snow. Instead, he worked on tricks by launching his sled into a foam pit. After a brief training run on snow ramps in Michigan, he was ready for his sport's biggest stage -- the 2010 Winter X Games.
In that contest, Moore captured a bronze in freestyle and finished sixth in best trick. Two years later, his biography on ESPN said, "Caleb Moore has gone from `beginner's luck' to `serious threat."
That was hardly a surprise to Vaught, who said, "Whatever he wanted to do, he did it."
Vaught said Moore didn't believe his sport was too extreme, but rather "it was a lifestyle." He was good at it -- along with ATV racing -- as he accumulated a garage full of trophies.
Fellow snowmobile rider Levi LaVallee recently described Moore as a "fierce competitor."
"A very creative mind," LaVallee said. "I've watched him try some crazy, crazy tricks and some of them were successful, some of them not so much. But he was first guy to get back on a sled and go try it again. It shows a lot of heart."
X Games officials said in a statement that they would conduct a thorough review of freestyle snowmobiling events and adopt any appropriate changes.
"For 18 years, we have worked closely on safety issues with athletes, course designers and other experts. Still, when the world's best compete at the highest level in any sport, risks remain," they said, noting that Moore was hurt performing a move he had done several times before.

[kellyhound]

[Drastic85]

Last I heard he was in the ICU with a bruised heart and complications from that causing brain problems.

[Faline]

ASPEN — Freestyle snowmobile athlete Caleb Moore remains in intensive care Sunday with heart problems and now a brain complication after a horrible crash Thursday night in the Winter X Games.
Moore, 25, under-rotated a backflip during the timed competition and was thrown from his sled. The 450-pound snowmobile hit him as he tumbled down the landing. He eventually walked away from the crash and was taken to Aspen Valley Hospital after briefly being knocked unconscious.
As doctors there checked on his concussion, they discovered he was bleeding around the heart and was airlifted to Grand Junction's St. Mary's Hospital.
On Sunday, a family spokeswoman said Moore's injuries now include "a secondary complication involving his brain."
"Caleb continues to be monitored in ICU," Chelsea Lawson told The Denver Post. "His cardiac injury has led to secondary complication involving his brain. The Moore family thanks all of Caleb's fans and friends for their support and for respecting their privacy."
Moore's brother, 23-year-old Colten, followed his brother down the X Games freestyle course and crashed on the same jump, separating his pelvis. Colten was treated and released.

[NoelPuppet]

Caleb Moore in desperate condition after X Games snowmobile crash

UPDATED: 01/28/2013 06:06:38 PM MST
By Jason Blevins
The Denver Post


Life is slipping away from Texas snowmobiler Caleb Moore after a horrific crash Thursday night at Aspen's Winter X Games. Family of the 25-year-old athlete gathered Monday at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction.

"Caleb is not doing good at all," Caleb's grandfather Charles Moore told The Denver Post Monday afternoon. "The prognosis is not good at all. It's almost certain he's not going to make it."

If indeed Moore loses his fight, it will mark the first fatality in the 17-year history of the Winter X Games.

"Caleb is in critical condition and is being closely monitored," family spokeswoman Chelsea Lawson said Monday evening. "The Moores want to express their gratitude to all of Caleb’s fans, friends and family


Caleb Moore crashes during the snowmobile freestyle finals Thursday during the first day of the Winter X Games in Aspen. (The Gazette)
for their strong support and ask for continued prayers in the coming days. The family will not be making any other public statements for the time being. Thank you for respecting the family’s privacy during this difficult time."
Moore was injured Thursday evening during the snowmobile freestyle contest. He under-rotated a back flip and dug the skis of his sled into the lip of the landing.

The 450-pound, heavily modified Polaris snowmobile slammed Moore as he tumbled down the landing ramp, knocking him unconscious. When Moore came to, he was moving and asked his brother and fellow freestyle snowmobile competitor Colten what happened.

He was rushed to Aspen Valley Hospital with a concussion. Doctors there discovered bleeding around his heart and he was helicoptered to Grand Junction's St. Mary's Hospital. Doctors there performed emergency heart surgery Friday morning. Moore was recovering in intensive care for a heart contusion.

Late Sunday, a family spokeswoman said the cardiac injury led to "a secondary complication involving his brain."

Moore and brother Colten stormed the snowmobile freestyle scene three years ago in Aspen, transferring their decades of experience racing and jumping ATV four-wheelers to snow sports. The duo learned to flip snowmobiles in a foam pit they built with their father in the backyard of their Krum, Texas home. Caleb won a freestyle bronze medal in his X Games debut in 2010. He won bronze again in 2011. Last year he won best trick silver, finishing behind Colten's gold.

Caleb won silver in the 2012 best trick contest while recovering from a broken pelvis and a broken tailbone he sustained in a crash during practice the day before the event.

Hours before his Thursday crash, Moore told The Denver Post that his snowmobiling career was launched at the X Games after barely a month of practice.

"Took a bronze medal after 30 days of practice," Caleb said. "It's been history from there. It's been a great ride."

[GoreisGreat]

I'm surprised more people don't die trying dumb crap like this for the x-games.

It's amazing this guy didn't get all that hurt.

[recyclebin94]

i was watching this live on tv when this happened xD

[Yozzie12]

Yeah.... the dude is in pretty bad shape, I heard he was likely on his death bed. Pretty sad....

[Muskiemonkey]

Death section soon...

[Pyramid_Head]

Hoping he pulls through. Reminds me of the Osiris rider Jeremy Lusk who died in 2009 from a horrific crash.