The victim who died due to an avalanche near a Utah ski resort earlier this week has been identified as an 11-year-old Massachusetts girl.
Madelyn Eitas of Rochester, Mass., was identified as the victim of the avalanche that happened at Brighton Ski Resort in Brighton, Utah, around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 19, according to WCVB, Boston 25 News and CBS News, all citing police.
The girl had been backcountry skiing with her family when the avalanche hit and she got caught in it, according to the outlets.
The Unified Police Department (UPD) of Greater Salt Lake told the outlets that first responders headed to the scene and when they arrived, they found her family and about 20 other people already trying to search for her.
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Her brother, Cameron, then “heroically used an application to locate her,” per the outlets, though police did not say what kind of application was used.
Once Madelyn was located, first responders began life-saving measures on her before she was transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital in critical condition. She died at the hospital.
“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” UPD said, per 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.
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PEOPLE reached out to the Unified Police Department for comment on Saturday, Feb. 21, but did not receive an immediate response.
The Old Rochester Regional School District confirmed to WCVB and Boston 25 News that Madelyn was a student at Rochester Memorial School and had been on a family vacation in Utah when the avalanche happened.
“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,” the district said in a release, per WCVS and Boston 25 News.
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The district also said, per the outlets, that counseling and support services will be made available for students and staff over the next several days.
Madelyn’s death came a day after another similar snow slide near a Utah ski resort claimed the life of a father who was out snowmobiling with his son, who survived. That incident took place around 4 p.m. on Feb. 18 in the Snake Creek area west of Midway, the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) stated in a press release.
“Investigation determined that an adult male and his juvenile son were snowmobiling in the area when the avalanche occurred. The adult male was caught and buried in the slide,” the sheriff’s office said.
