A family is mourning the loss of 10-year-old Delaney O’Connell after she slipped down a hill during a ski lesson and hit a tree before passing.
O’Connell was taking to a nearby hospital after the accident around 2:00 p.m. and died on Tuesday of a cranial cerebral trauma after the force that caused her death was so great “that it cracked her helmet and caused a serious brain injury,” her mother Dawn wrote on Facebook.
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Delaney’s mother shared with friends and family on Facebook that her family is “heartbroken” over the loss of their daughter.
According to PEOPLE, Delaney was taking an intermediate ski trail at Crystal Mountain ski resort in Michigan with a certified ski instructor before her death. The resort classified the young girl as a Level 4 skier since she has been taking classes since she was 3 years old at the resort.
“It’s clear there was loss of balance here,” resort spokesman Brian Lawson said of the incident. Lawson also noted that the trainer did exactly what she was trained to do and called for “medical attention.”
While helmets are not required, they are “fiercely encouraged” at Crystal Mountain and it’s reported that about 80-percent of people on the slopes do wear them. The ski resort is advising all skiers and snowboarders to always wear a helmet.
Originally posted on Womanista.com.
