'Academically Gifted' Student, 15, Dies in Ski Accident on Familiar N.H. Trail: 'Very Special Kid'

Christopher DiPrima of Boston was skiing with family at Pat's Peak Ski Area in Henniker, N.H., when he hit a bump and went flying through the air, according to family

Christopher DiPrima
Photo: Excel Academy Charter Schools/Facebook

A Massachusetts teen has died following a freak skiing accident on a trail he frequented in the past.

Relatives say Christopher DiPrima, 15, of Boston, was skiing with family at Pat's Peak Ski Area in Henniker, N.H., on Saturday when he hit a bump and went flying through the air before landing on the trail below, according to CBS affiliate WBZ-TV and The Boston Globe.

The teen was transported to Concord Hospital, where he died of his injuries, per the reports. An exact cause of death has not been revealed.

Pat's Peak Ski Area did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Steven Gingras, DiPrima's cousin, said the teen had skied the same trail multiple times before the crash, per the reports.

"It was a complete accident," Gingras told WBZ-TV. "No one foresaw this. Even on the way to the hospital really, we couldn't have comprehended it."

DiPrima had only started to ski last year, Gringas added. "It's probably the sport he was starting to really get into most," he told the Globe. "[DiPrima] was pretty good at it, which makes it even more shocking."

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DiPrima was a sophomore at Excel Academy, according to a statement from the charter school district. "Christopher was a kind and caring person who brought joy to everyone he met," the statement says. "He will be truly missed."

Gingras told the Globe that his cousin was "academically gifted," but also enjoyed typical teenage boy stuff like video games and hanging out with friends. DiPrima's mother is from Colombia, he added.

Joe DiPrima, the late teen's uncle and godfather, said his nephew was the family's "electronics wizard" — and even helped him pick out some new televisions for his home in East Boston last week, per the report.

Excel Academy CEO Owen Sterns told ABC affiliate WMUR-TV that DiPrima was "a wonderful, caring, loving child and from a wonderful, caring, loving family."

"His sister also goes to our school," Sterns explained. "He was a huge fan of his sister. He was just a very special kid."

School officials delayed the start of classes at Excel Academy High School on Monday, and counselors were made available to DiPrima's peers, according to Excel Academy Charter Schools' statement.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing, Pats Peak general manager Kris Blomback said in a statement, per the Globe.

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