15-year-old killed in skiing accident remembered as 'nicest guy you ever met'
EAST BOSTON - The East Boston community is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old boy who died in a skiing accident over the weekend.
Christopher DiPrima was hitting the trails at Pats Peak with his family. His relatives say he fell after hitting a bump and going airborne momentarily. Pats Peak representatives say ski patrol teams brought the boy to the bottom of the mountain. He was transported to Concord Hospital but died from his injuries. Right now, the family is unsure on the exact cause of death.
"This was a trail he's been on several times before and been able to handle," said Steven Gingras, Christopher's cousin who was at the mountain that day, but not on the trail when the accident occurred. "It was a complete accident. No one foresaw this. Even on the way to the hospital really, we couldn't have comprehended it."
Gingras says DiPrima took up skiing last year, and it quickly became a passion. The two cousins, along with Christopher's sister, learned together. The trip to Pats Peak was a family trip over the weekend.
"He was a good son, really good older brother, and the nicest guy you ever met. Had a sense of humor," remembered Gingras. "He loved computers and was a bit of a tech wizard. I spoke to one of his teachers today, and she said even in the 4th grade he was coding these little video games."
DiPrima was a student at Excel Academy in East Boston. The high school started an hour early on Monday morning, so students had time to grieve. The school has counselors on hand for students who need someone to talk to.
"Christopher was a wonderful young man, a very caring, sweet kid. He had a very special relationship with his sister who is also a student at our school," said Owen Stearns, CEO of Excel Academy. "His father has been over twice this morning just to check in on us. The apple didn't fall far from the tree with both of his parents."
