Injured teen remains in critical condition

The 16-year-old foreign exchange student from Germany, found with only a faint pulse near the summit of the Whitefish Mountain Ski resort Wednesday, was still listed in critical condition at Kalispell Regional Medical Center Friday night.

The youth, who attends Columbia Falls High School, was found at about 11 a.m. Wednesday when two skiers saw skis sticking out from the snow and called the ski patrol.

He was initially believed to be dead, but medical personnel detected a pulse after taking him to a North Valley Hospital clinic at the base of the mountain.

Kalispell Regional Medical Center spokesman Jim Oliverson said the boy is being treated in the hospital’s critical care unit.

It’s not known how long he had been stuck in the tree well where he was found. His name has not been released.