13-Year-Old Boy Dies After Crashing into Tree During Family Skiing Vacation: Reports

A British teenager has died after crashing into a tree during a family skiing vacation in Italy, according to reports.

On Saturday, Feb. 22, shortly after 9:30 a.m. local time, the 13-year-old reportedly lost control of his skis before hitting a tree while on a red slope — for intermediate and advanced skiers — in the Lagazuoi area of the Dolomites, per local outlet Corriere del Veneto.

The publication reported in the translated article that staff had attempted to revive the boy, but he died instantly. The outlet added that he’d been on vacation with his parents, who had been on the slope with him at the time. The boy had reportedly been wearing a helmet, but his injuries were too severe.

“The boy lost control of his skis and crashed into a tree next to the piste. No one else was involved,” a police spokesperson in Belluno said, per The Times.

The victim was part of a group on the trip and had been staying with his parents in San Cassiano in Alta Badia valley, Corriere del Veneto reported. The outlet added that the slope the teen was on started at 2,732 meters and would usually take a skier around 15 minutes to make their way down to 2,105 meters. The route is around 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers).

Ski instructor Francesco Cataldo Giorgi, who is the vice president of the Happy Ski school in Cortina, said of the accident, per the publication, “From what was said by those present, the boy had picked up a lot of speed,” suggesting that he then hit a dip.

“He was no longer able to control the descent and crashed into the tree. It was very bad luck,” the instructor continued, according to the outlet.

“If he had fallen a few meters before or after, nothing would have happened. Unfortunately, in this sport, all it takes is one fall in the wrong place and you can lose your life. We have to be careful,” he added, according to the publication.

Gianluca Lorenzi, the mayor of Cortina, said of the tragedy: “I am deeply sorry for this English boy and, both personally and as a municipal administration, we are close to the family affected by this,” The Times reported.

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A U.K. foreign office spokesperson shared in a statement with PEOPLE, “We are supporting the family of a British national who has died in Italy and are in touch with the local authorities.”

The victim was reportedly a student at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital School (QEH) in Bristol, England. “Our community is deeply saddened, and we are concentrating on supporting our pupils and staff,” headteacher Rupert Heathcote, said of the tragedy, according to the Bristol Post.

Police in Belluno, the Happy Ski School in Cortina, an email for the Lagazuoi ski area and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital School did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.