An 18-year-old skier has been taken to a Boston hospital after suffering serious injuries in an accident in the Nashoba Valley ski area in Westford, Massachusetts, fire officials said.
According to the Westford Fire Department, the victim was airlifted to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center after the incident around 1:15 a.m. Sunday.
The young man was skiing with his family when he collided with an off-piste building at the bottom of the Nashoba piste, which has a blue square meaning “harder,” the ski area said in a statement.
Al Fletcher, with the Nashoba Valley, told NBC10 Boston that the teen lost control at some point, was kicked off his skis and then slipped under the building.
According to the Nashoba Valley statement, attendees provided assistance immediately and Ski Patrol was on the scene a few minutes later, followed by EMS shortly thereafter.
Fires in Westford, Ski Patrol and Boston MedFlight responded to the ski area, located at 79 Powers Road, where the victim was trapped under a building, fire officials reported. According to the Westford fire department, the teen was extricated and was seriously injured.
Skiers who witnessed the collision told NBC10 Boston that the teenager quickly descended the hill and did not stop before crashing into the shed-like structure.
“It went down really fast, I only saw it when it fell,” said Angelo Cruz, who was at the end of the slope with his daughter.
Cruz tells NBC10 Boston that he tried to help the teen, but couldn’t because he was housed under the canopy.
“The head was inside the deck and it wasn’t moving,” Cruz said.
Fletcher says the teen suffered facial lacerations and some type of head injury. Nashoba Valley said in its statement that he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
It is unclear why the skier did not stop or how he lost control.
“[He] he has just come down the hill and nothing has stopped coming in, ”said Amy Carta, an eyewitness.
Letter states that the slope of Nashoba is quite steep and can be tricky for skiers.
“I would definitely consider it rather intermediate. Here it’s pretty steep for a blue. In my opinion, my guys are beginners and it can get a little tricky in the middle until you get here.”
The ski area considered it a “serious” incident and said they wanted the public to be able to hear about it, although they urged people to refrain from speculating on the victim’s condition.
“Out of concern for the young man and his family, we ask you to refrain from speculating and to keep him, his family and Nashoba staff and the first assistants who have attended to him in your prayers,” he continued. the statement of the ski area.
As of 7:15 p.m., Sunday, the teen’s condition was not updated.
The incident is being investigated by local and state police as well as Nashoba Valley ski area staff.