Mass 11-year-old girl killed in Brighton Ski Resort avalanche
Madelyn Eitas, Rochester, Massachusetts girl killed in Brighton Ski Resort avalanche in Utah after 11-year-old girl skiing in out of bounds area with her family. Girl’s brother was able to locate her using app.
An 11‑year‑old girl from Massachusetts has died after being caught in an avalanche while skiing with her family near Brighton Ski Resort, Utah authorities said.
Madelyn Eitas, of Rochester, Massachusetts, was visiting relatives in Utah during the school vacation week when the slide occurred in the Rock Garden area just after 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
Unified Police Department commenting about the tragedy said the avalanche happened in an out‑of‑bounds zone outside the resort’s cleared and corded terrain where the 11-year-old and her family had been skiing, WCVB reported.
Holiday week in Utah skiing turns to tragedy
In the immediate aftermath of the slide, up to 20 people along with Madelyn’s family at the scene worked to bring the 11-year-old to safety after being buried by the avalanche.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(726x728:728x730)/Ski-resort-Utah-022126-01-ed7401c31e6a42a3950782ffa80f5193.jpg)
Brighton Ski Patrol and Wasatch Backcountry Rescue responded with Salt Lake County sheriff’s search‑and‑rescue teams after receiving reports of one person caught in the slide. Rescuers located Madelyn along the slide path, administered first aid and transported her to a nearby hospital in critical condition, where she later died.
Authorities said Madelyn was not carrying an avalanche beacon, which can help rescuers locate buried victims. According to the Unified Police Department, Madelyn’s brother, Cameron, ‘heroically’ used an application to locate her.
11-year-old Rochester, Mass girl remembered
‘Our thoughts are with the victim’s family during this incredibly difficult time,’ UPD said, according to CBS News.
‘The communities here in Utah, as well as the family’s home community in Massachusetts, now have the important responsibility of rallying around the family to provide support, compassion, and comfort in the times ahead,’ police added.
News of the tragedy led to the Rochester Memorial School where Madelyn was a student to issue a statement: ‘This is devastating news for our school community. We offer our sincere condolences to the student’s family, friends, classmates, and teachers during this unimaginable time.’
