A community is in mourning after a New Year's ski trip to Michigan turned tragic for one suburban family.
10-year-old Delaney O'Connell, of LaGrange, was taking a ski lesson at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort in Thompsonville, Michigan, on Sunday, when she apparently lost control and hit a tree.
The young girl, who was wearing a helmet at the time, was taken to a Grand Rapids hospital where she died from her injuries on Monday.
"This is tough," said Crystal Mountain spokesperson Brian Lawson. "It hits particularly close to home because it was a child, and one who has been coming with family for many, many years. So there's a relationship that many people have with this family."
Those close to the family said they are asking for privacy during this incredibly difficult time, though support for them can be seen at every turn in west suburban LaGrange.
Friends and neighbors tied large purple bows around the trees in their neighborhood and at her elementary school, coming together to pay tribute to the little girl who was taken too soon.
Her death marked the first fatal crash at the resort during a ski school instruction in the resort's 60 year history. Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
