A tragic skiing accident at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort claimed the life of a 19-year-old college student, according to local authorities.
Alex Kemp, from New Jersey and a first-year student at Williams College, was pronounced dead on Tuesday at Baystate Medical Center after sustaining skiing-related injuries at the resort in Hancock, Massachusetts, according to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon when Kemp veered off the Cutter Trail and went over an embankment, suffering severe head trauma, authorities said. Emergency services were alerted at 2:39 p.m., with the Jiminy Peak Ski Patrol and Northern Berkshire EMS responding.
Despite wearing a helmet, Kemp’s injuries proved fatal. He was initially taken to Berkshire Medical Center before being transferred to Baystate Medical Center for advanced care, where he was later pronounced dead.
University staff who knew Kemp highlighted his contributions to the college community, according to a Jan. 8 press release issued by Williams College President Maud Mandel.
“Alex was one of the strongest students I’ve taught in 21 years at the college,” said Dukes Love, Class of 1969 Professor of Economics at Williams. “Economics seemed to come naturally to him, and he took an obvious joy in learning.”
Kemp was a standout member of the college’s cross-country team, according to Coach Dusty Lopez, who praised his character and athletic talent.
“Alex had a self-assured, positive, kind way about him and it was consistent every day. This made him such a valuable member of our team, even in his first year—above and beyond his obvious gifts as an athlete,” he stated.
Before attending Williams, Kemp had a history of community service, volunteering at organizations such as the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen and iCan Bike, a camp helping children with disabilities learn to ride adaptable bikes.
The latest skiing-related death comes amid a series of incidents in the winter sports community, highlighting the inherent risks in the field.
In a separate incident, the Swiss skiing federation reported that Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger, 26, lost her life in an avalanche at the Arosa mountain resort in Switzerland on Dec. 23, 2024. Hediger, a rising star in snowboard cross, had recently achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes in the current season.
Walter Reusser, CEO of the country’s skiing federation, Swiss Ski, released a statement following news of her death.
“We are shocked and our thoughts are with Sophie’s family, to whom we offer our deepest condolences,” he said. He added that Hediger had lost her life “tragically, brutally and far too early.”
A few days earlier on Dec. 21, 2024, over 170 skiers and snowboarders at Winter Park Resort in Colorado had to be evacuated from a gondola lift due to a structural issue.
Jen Miller, a spokesperson for the resort, told the Associated Press that all 174 individuals were safely lowered to the ground using a rope system over a five-hour period. The resort’s ski patrol assisted in the operation, ensuring that each rider’s gear was also safely retrieved.