13-year-old boy killed in Morin Heights ski accident

A tragic ski accident at Ski Morin-Heights claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy on Saturday, February 26.

The teenage boy was reportedly skiing on an intermediate trail at Ski Morin-Heights when, for unknown reasons, he went off the trail and hit one of the trees edging the slope.

According to Sûreté du Quebec Sgt. Martine Isabelle, the boy was wearing a helmet and he was accompanied by two adults at the time of the accident. Isabelle explained that it was not the boy's first time skiing and that he was skiing on a marked trail at the time of the accident.

"The event happened at around 7 p.m.," Isabelle said. "The two adults were assisting the boy when the ski patrol arrived, followed by the police and the ambulance. The boy was badly injured and transported to hospital, where he was pronounced dead."

Nicholas MacRae, 19, was snowboarding with friends on Saturday evening when the accident occurred.

"We were at the bottom of the hill when someone came down shouting that there was a kid in the ditch," he recalled. "The ski patrol came down a few minutes later on the snowmobile with the stretcher behind it with the boy. The patroller was blowing his whistle and yelling for people to get out of the way.

"When they got to the bottom they were working on him really hard and doing CPR for about fifteen minutes before they put him on the ambulance and took him away with the lights turned off."

According to MacRae, the conditions on Saturday evening were challenging, with a hard base and very little snow: "The conditions were kind of icy and there wasn't much snow. I had a hard time turning on my snowboard and without a really sharp board, it would have been difficult to make some of the tight turns."

Mont Saint-Sauveur International (MSSI) purchased Ski Morin-Heights in 1992 and according to a CTV interview with company representative Martin Giroux, there have been no fatal accidents at Ski Morin-Heights since MSSI assumed ownership.

"This is the first time since we bought this ski hill, and I was talking to other employees who have been here since the opening of the station," he said. "They don't remember any fatal accident like this."

According to a study compiled by the United States National Ski Areas Association and the Canadian Ski Council, "Skiing and snowboarding are no more dangerous than other high-energy participation sports, and less so than some common activities."

Data compiled for the survey revealed skiing has a lower injury rate than many other activities, including basketball, soccer and volleyball.

A 15-year study compiled by the Canadian Ski Council using Health Canada statistics also indicated the most common ski injury is a sprained thumb.

Canadian residents are actively involved in snow sports and in 2007, 15.2 per cent of Canada's population over the age of 12 participated in alpine or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, or a combination of those sports.

In 2008, the rate of injuries in Quebec while skiing or snowboarding was 1.85 per 1,000 skier days.

The Canadian Ski Council study shows that the rate of ski injuries have been declining, which it attributes to education programs, better equipment and area conditions. The council recommends all skiers and boarders should wear helmets to prevent serious head injuries.

Less serious injuries are the most common snow sport accidents, with sprains and strains accounting for 41 per cent of all injuries; fractures at 29 per cent; and dislocations, seven per cent.

More serious injuries, like concussions and cardiac incidents, account for about eight percent of all injuries.

"While it may be commonly thought that collisions on the hill with other skiers, trees or equipment cause most injuries, in fact over 75 per cent do not involve collisions," the survey stated. "Nearly 75 per cent of all injuries also occur on marked runs, with another 11 per cent occurring in terrain parks. Few injuries occur in out of bounds areas or closed runs, and about four per cent in lift incident."