11-year-old boy dies after crashing into tree at Idaho ski area

An Illinois boy died Thursday after he hit a tree at Pomerelle Mountain Resort.

The 11-year-old boy was from Chatham, Illinois, and was skiing with his family, Cassia County Undersheriff George Warrell said.

The call came into dispatch about 6:30 p.m. and ambulance and helicopter crews were sent to the mountain.

“He died at the scene and was not transported,” Warrell said.

Schools from Oakley and Rupert both had students skiing on the mountain when the accident occurred, and there were several parents accompanying them who were emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

“They immediately began life-saving procedures,” Warrell said.

The family was visiting the area, and the boy was skiing with his mother when the accident occurred.

“It was a tragic accident,” Warrell said.