A pair of high school athletes from Illinois were killed Sunday in a terrible sledding accident during their spring break trip to a ski resort west of Denver, Colorado.
Teens Dylan Bazzell and Drew Fehr were reportedly sledding at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Summit County when their sled went off a snow bank and landed hard on the ice, fatally injuring both of them, according to the New York Post.
“The two individuals came down hard on the hard ice below, causing blunt force trauma,” the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Monday.
The statement added, “Despite immediate medical attention from emergency medical services, the individuals could not be revived and were pronounced deceased on the scene.”
Summit County Sheriff Jaime Fitzsimmons said, “Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends of the individuals involved in this tragic incident.”
Officials at Prairie Central school district in Fairbury, Illinois, confirmed the victims and said they were 17 and 18 years old.
Both teens were standout athletes at the school. “Bazzell, son of boys’ basketball coach and former all-star Darin Bazzell, was named an Associated Press first-team all-state basketball selection,” the Post reported.
Dylan Bazzell (Prairie Central High School)
And Fehr was captain of the school’s football team who, as a running back and linebacker, led the school’s team with 1,439 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 98 tackles.
Drew Fehr (Prairie Central High School)
The resort also noted that the trail the teens were sledding was already closed at the time of their accident.
Copper Mountain president and general manager Dustin Lyman told the media that the halfpipe the teens were sledding had been closed at 4 p.m., several hours before the accident, and that all trails and life access had already been closed for the day.
“The entire team at Copper Mountain is deeply saddened by this tragic incident. Our most sincere condolences go out to the affected families and friends,” Cooper added.
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