A 14-year-old British boy has died following a skiing accident in Italy, after veering off course and crashing into a tree, authorities have said.
Although the boy was said to be wearing a helmet, paramedics’ efforts to revive him for half an hour were unsuccessful, as he had sustained a traumatic chest injury, according to reports from Italian media.
The boy’s parents were understood to be present at the scene while medics attempted to revive the unnamed teenager for at least 30 minutes, local media reported.
The incident occurred on Saturday morning on the Falzarego intermediate red run in the Dolomites, near Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Corriere del Veneto reported. The teenager was skiing with his family when he lost control after gaining speed on a dip in the slope.
Witnesses said that the momentum caused him to veer off course, sending him into a tree at the side of the run. Francesco Cataldo Giorgi, vice president of the Happy Ski school in Cortina, described the accident to the Italian newspaper as “very bad luck.” He continued: “If he had fallen a few metres before or after, nothing would have happened. Unfortunately, in this sport, all it takes is one fall in the wrong place, and you can lose your life. We have to be careful.”
The boy’s family were on a half-term holiday with two other families in the Bolzano area. A medical and psychological support team were sent to assist the parents on the scene before their son’s body was transported to the San Martino hospital in Belluno.
The Falzarego piste descends from 2,732m to 2,105m, which is considered medium-to-high difficulty. However, the stretch where the accident occurred is typically less challenging. Local authorities are investigating whether any obstacles or features on the slope contributed to the incident.
A foreign office spokesman said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Italy and are in touch with the local authorities.”