A 24-year-old Sugarloaf employee died Friday morning after an accidental fall at the Carrabassett Valley ski resort.

Carabassett Valley police have identified the employee as Alexander Witt, of Farmington.

Witt, who was not wearing a helmet, was preparing a mogul course around 10 a.m. Friday for an upcoming competition when he lost his footing and slid down the course, Sugarloaf spokesman Ethan Austin said. Austin said that to his knowledge, Witt was wearing skis at the time of the accident.

“Our staff is a close-knit family that cares deeply for one another, and our hearts are with our team member and his family today,” Karl Strand, Sugarloaf’s general manager, said in a statement. “Safety is the first priority in everything we do at Sugarloaf and a loss like this is a tremendous blow to all of us.”

Witt, an employee with Sugarloaf for about five years, was working on the Skidder trail, a double-black-diamond trail for expert skiers and snowboarders located at the center of the mountain, when he fell.

The trail was being prepared for the Eastern Freestyle Tri-State Championship this weekend at Sugarloaf.

Sugarloaf’s Ski Patrol responded to the accident and took Witt to the mountain’s first-aid clinic while performing CPR. Paramedics continued CPR but were unable to revive him.

Ski Patrol and investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are looking into potential causes for the accident.

The last death at Sugarloaf occurred in February 2014, when a Husson College student lost control on his skis and crashed into trees off the Hayburner trail, a black-diamond run. Stephen Colvin, 21, of Hoosick, N.Y., was skiing with others when he veered off the trail and hit trees.

Kate McCormick — 861-9218

kmccormick@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @KateRMcCormick