A fun day on the slopes has turned to tragedy, and a college athlete is dead following a deadly skiing accident in Massachusetts. 19-year-old Alex Kemp perished while skiing at the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Massachusetts. The accident happened on Monday.
Kemp was a college athlete and freshman at Williams College. Observers called for emergency responders after Kemp fell and hit his head while skiing on Cutter Trailer.
"The caller indicated that Mr. Kemp had gone over an embankment and appeared to have suffered significant head trauma," police said. Upon arrival, ski patrol worked to stabilize Kemp and tried to save his life. They transported him to the Berkshire Medical Center. Later, the hospital transferred him to Baystate Medical Center where he died a day later.
College Athlete Dies
As far as the cause of the crash, the District Attorney's Office said, "There is no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident." Additionally, the college athlete was practicing proper safety and wore a helmet. It appears that it may have been a skill issue. Cutter Trail is one of the most difficult trails at the resort. It's a black diamond trail reserved for the most experienced skiers.
Williams College is in mourning. Kemp was a runner for the school's cross country team. His coach and professor paid tribute to the college athlete in a statement.
"Alex was fearless and incredibly motivated as a runner, both in training and competition. But even when he didn't have his own best day, he took sincere joy and pride in seeing teammates do well," his cross-country coach Dusty Lopez said in the university's statement. "Our thoughts and hearts are with his family, his high school teammates and coaches, and everyone else who was lucky enough to know Alex."
Meanwhile, his professor also said he was a great student.
"Alex was one of the strongest students I've taught in 21 years at the college," Dukes Love, a professor of economics who taught Kemp, said in the statement.
