An 11-year-old girl who was vacationing in Utah with her family was killed while backcountry skiing near Brighton Ski Resort on Thursday. Police have identified the girl as 11-year-old Madelyn Eitas from Rochester, Massachusetts.
Local officials say they received reports of an avalanche around 12:30 p.m on Thursday near the resort in an out-of-bounds area known as the Rock Garden. First responders rushed to the scene and found her family, as well as roughly 20 other skiers searching for her. They were able to locate her using an app on her brother’s phone.
After they dug her out, she had already been buried for around half an hour. Life-saving measures were conducted before she was transported to a hospital by ambulance. A helicopter transport was originally called, but due to harsh conditions and not having a place to land, it was forced to turn back.
Eitas later passed away at the hospital.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the student’s family, friends, classmates, and teachers during this unimaginable time,” Rochester School District Superintendent Michael S. Nelson said in a statement. “Our focus at this time is on supporting those who are grieving, and we ask that the family’s privacy be respected.”
Eitas marks the fourth avalanche related death in Utah this year.
To learn more about avalanche warning signs, visit the National Weather Service website on avalanche safety and how to look for potentially dangerous areas of snow.
Author: Andrew Streeter
Photo by Francisco Kjolseth, The Salt Lake Tribune
Editor: Hannah Clove
news@suunews.net
