2 Teenagers Dead After Sunday Sledding Accident at Copper Mountain

A Sunday (March 19) evening sledding accident at Copper Mountain has left two teenagers dead.

According to a news release from the Summit County Sheriff's Office (SCSO), the incident occurred around 8:35 p.m. when the two male teenagers were sledding down the ski resort's half pipe.

SCSO says that the two were on the same sled. When their sled came towards the end of the half pipe, it launched off a large snowbank, causing the teenagers to plummet onto the hard ice below and suffer blunt force trauma.

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After attempting life-saving measures, officials pronounced the two teenagers, a 17 and 18-year-old on spring break from Illinois, dead at the scene.

"Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families and friends of the individuals involved in this tragic incident," said Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons in the release.

Dustin Lyman, president of Copper Mountain, also commented on the incident in a statement published by 9News:

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. We are also thankful to our local emergency responders, for their quick response and medical assistance provided.

FOX31 reports that it is unknown whether or not the teenagers were in a designated sledding area at the time of the incident. The ski resort's website does warn about the hazards of snow play.

In the release, SCSO asked the public to practice snow play safety and to be aware of the inherent risks.

The Summit County Coroner's Office is now working to determine the teenagers' cause and manner of death. No further information is available at this time.