A family is in mourning after a freak skiing accident killed a 24-year-old Marine Sergeant. She had been visiting her family over the holidays in Colorado. Sadly, she passed away after getting injured at a ski resort.
Marine Sergeant Jessie Mello was skiing at Powderhorn Mountain in late December when she crashed into a tree. It caused a severe head injury as well as broken bones. The Colorado Sun reported that the Marine hit a patch of ice that caused her to slide out of control. She was wearing a helmet, but it wasn't enough to save her life.
First responders air flighted her to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. She later died in intensive care from her injuries. Her father, Eric Mello, mourned the loss of his daughter in a Facebook post.
Marine Dies
"My baby girl went peacefully into Jesus's arms tonight," her father wrote in a Facebook post. "Thank you all for the love and support through all of this... We love you all and she is at peace."
For her funeral, they had Marine Corps Funeral Honors playing taps. Two Marines draped the American flag over her casket. Additionally, more than 50 of her fellow brothers and sisters-in-arms showed up to pay their respects. The tragic accident doesn't make sense to her dad. He said that she grew up skiing the mountain. But she hadn't been skiing in several years due to her service in the Marines.
Her family remembers her as "kind, loving, and full of joy." They said she could "put you in your place with a simple glance and build you up with a hug,"
"Excellence was not a lofty goal for Jessie; it was the standard," an online memorial page set up for the Marine shared. "Jessie lived more in 24 years than most dream to live in a lifetime. She traveled the world, was a multisport athlete, a black belt, a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, and an incredible daughter, sister, and friend to everyone she encountered."
Her memory will continue on and to inspire all those that she touched.
