Thurston Commissioner in Yakima hospital recovering from snowboarding accident
A snowboarding accident injured Thurston County Commissioner Tye Menser on Monday, causing him to miss county meetings this past week.
Menser, 51, told The Olympian Friday he has been recovering from a cracked rib and punctured lung at Yakima Memorial Hospital since Monday evening. He hopes to attend county meetings on Tuesday but has yet to decide if he will work the rest of the week, he said.
“I will be participating at least in the Tuesday board meetings because a lot of things were set over a week so that I could be there,” Menser said. “Even if I’m on Zoom, from home or from the hospital, I will be participating at least virtually.”
Menser said he will remain at the hospital until his doctors confirm his lung won’t collapse. Once he’s cleared, he will likely have to stay a day longer in Yakima since driving over the mountain range may impact his breathing.
The accident occurred Monday afternoon as he snowboarded at White Pass with his two children. While trying out a new snowboard, he said he lost his balance and flipped over while wearing a backpack.
“I think I flipped backwards onto my water bottle, cracked a rib and punctured my lung,” he said. “It happened in a flash. Even before I knew what happened I couldn’t breathe, and I was in a lot of pain.”
Following the incident, his 14- and 16-year-old children got the attention of White Pass Ski Patrol who called an ambulance for Menser.
He said he’s thankful for Ski Patrollers Michael and Jackie Murphy, who got his children home to Olympia.
“We really appreciate what they did for our family,” Menser said. “Michael was able to drive our car with my kids home and his wife followed in their car because they live in Olympia.”
Menser, who said he is an advanced snowboarder, called the incident a “weird, freak accident,” adding he was not attempting any jumps or difficult maneuvers at the time.
He said he has been snowboarding since the 1990s. Though his recent accident has given him pause, he eventually hopes to return to the sport.
“It could have happened to anybody at any point,” Menser said. “It’s kind of a very routine thing, so that makes me a little apprehensive about going back out there. I’m sure over time I will because it’s been a pretty significant hobby for me since I was in college.”
Thurston County Manager Ramiro Chavez told The Olympian on Friday he’s been in contact with Menser and wishes him a quick recovery.
“I was disheartened by the accident he suffered and that he was put in a hospital on the other side of the mountains,” Chavez said. “I’m glad he’s feeling better and he’s recovering well.”
Out of respect for Menser, the two remaining board members tabled some discussions and decisions until this coming Tuesday so Menser can participate.
“As a result, we have a heavy agenda Tuesday morning,” Chavez said.
Copies of the board’s agendas can be found on the Thurston County website and open meetings are livestreamed and kept on YouTube.
