Girl critically injured at western Quebec ski hill has died, family says

A 13-year-old girl who was critically injured after her clothing got tangled in the ski lift at a hill in Wakefield, Que., has died, her family says.

In a statement released Sunday by Ottawa children’s hospital CHEO, the family said they were “devastated” to share the news.

“We would like to thank our community for their support and the outpouring of love we have received over the last few days. We would like to extend our love to all of those affected by this terrible tragedy,” the family wrote.

“We are also grateful for everyone who took heroic action to help save our precious child.”

The girl was on a class trip to Centre Vorlage near Wakefield, Que., on Feb. 11 and was about to dismount the chairlift at the top of the hill when her clothes became tangled in the machinery.

Adults tried to free her, ultimately deciding the best way to get her off the chair was to bring it back to the bottom of the hill, western Quebec police said last week.

When she arrived at the bottom, she was not breathing, police said.

First responders were waiting with two doctors who happened to be at the hill that day. They performed CPR and the girl was first rushed to hospital in Wakefield before being transferred to CHEO.

The girl’s family thanked CHEO for its care and said in their statement that her organs had been donated.

‘Sincerest condolences’

In a French-language statement sent to Radio-Canada on Sunday, Centre Vorlage co-owner Alexandre Gaboury said the entire organization was “deeply saddened” by the girl’s death.

“We offer our sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones who are experiencing this extremely painful loss,” Gaboury said. “We are continuing to work with the relevant authorities and will continue to provide all necessary support to our employees and our community.”

Centre Vorlage has been closed since the incident but said in a social media post Sunday afternoon that its restaurant would open Monday followed by a “light reopening” of the hill on Tuesday.

“Safety remains an absolute priority for our entire team, and the resort will continue its efforts to ensure a careful and respectful return to normal operations for everyone affected by this tragic accident,” the post said.

‘Non-conformities’ identified, fixed

Police are investigating the incident, as is Ontario’s Office of the Chief Coroner as the girl died in hospital in Ottawa.

“The goal is to know exactly what happened that day,” said MRC des Collines police Sgt. Martin Fournel. “All our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this moment.”

The Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ), which is responsible for inspecting ski lifts in the province, will also look at whether a mechanical malfunction played a role in what happened.

In a French-language statement to Radio-Canada, the agency said it conducted inspections at Centre Vorlage on Feb. 12-13 and identified “non-conformities.”

A “corrective notice” was issued late on the afternoon of Feb. 13, prohibiting the ski lift from operating, the RBQ said.

It said Monday evening it had proof the non-conformities had been fixed and ski lifts could open again.

WATCH | The latest on the investigations:

Investigation continues into death of 13-year-old after incident at ski hill

Local authorities are continuing to piece together what happened on a chairlift at Centre Vorlage that led to the death of a 13-year-old girl. CBC’s Natalia Goodwin reports.

“Such an accident really raises some questions, and I can understand that people do have questions right now about safety,” said Yves Juneau, CEO of the Quebec Ski Areas Association.

The association, Juneau said, is “deeply saddened” by the news of he young girl’s death.

What happened at Centre Vorlage was likely an isolated incident, he said, given what he described as the high standards and regular frequency of inspections required of ski lift operations in Quebec.

“It’s something that is taken really seriously,” Juneau said.