Crime & Safety

Former Bellevue Doctor Dies in Mount Baker Skiing Accident

Dr. Keith Hardy practiced at the Evergreen Sport & Spine Center

A sports medicine doctor who had worked for a Bellevue practice was identified as the man who died in a skiing accident on Mount Baker Friday.

Dr. Keith Hardy most recently practiced at  in Kirkland.

Hardy, 34, had reportedly just climbed to the top of 10,781-foot Mount Baker and was skiing down the mountain when he accidentally went off a cliff at the 9,000 foot level, according to a report on KOMO television.

Hardy was an avid skier and outdoorsman, who also practiced at Northwest Spine and Sports Physicians in Bellevue, which has closed. He bio there indicated he served as team physician for the University of Washington lacrosse team and the Sammamish High School football team.

KOMO quoted a statement released by Hardy family:

"We are deeply grieved by our loss. Keith was a wonderful husband, father, physician, and friend. He lived his life with purpose and passion. We know all those whose lives he touched will miss him dearly."

Search and Rescue teams have been turned back by weather in attempting to recover Hardy’s body and are waiting for condition to improve.

KOMO also quoted a colleague of Hardy’s as saying the doctor was passionate about sports, and that carried over into his career.

“He was passionate about it and loved to do it," said Hardy's friend, Dr. Andrew Lynch. "He should be remembered from a professional standpoint as a great doctor and a rising star in our field, because he was."

For the KOMO story, click here.

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