A snowboarder has died at the Mount Washington ski resort on Vancouver Island.

A man in his 20s was found unresponsive in a treed area within the resort's boundaries on Monday, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.

"This is a very sad tragedy," said resort general manager Peter Gibson in a release. "Everyone here at the resort sends our sincerest condolences to the family and friends."

Sheila Rivers, Mount Washington's marketing manager, said the man was inside the resort's boundaries, but was skiing "off-piste" — that is, in a treed area not actively groomed by resort staff.

B.C. Coroners Service spokesperson Andy Watson said the investigation is still in its early stages, and that it's too early to speculate on the cause of the man's death.

The death comes a day after a massive snowfall closed the resort. The coroners service says it's the second skiing-related fatality at the resort in 10 years.

With files from Emily Brass.