WATCH ABOVE: A young man from Australia has died from his injuries after a tobogganing crash at an Edmonton ski hill. Jessica Kent explains.
EDMONTON – Edmonton police say a young man has died following a tobogganing accident on the weekend.
Officers and paramedics were called to the Edmonton Ski Club just before 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Police say a 22-year-old man was seriously injured. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
“It’s a shock to us,” he added, saying the club found out about the death late Tuesday afternoon. “We feel absolutely terrible… it’s just terrible, terrible news.”
Saunders said the ski and snowboard hill is closed overnight, the gate is closed and the operating hours are clearly marked.
A friend has identified the man who died as Mitch Lawry. The 22-year-old worked as an agent for Canada Flight Centre since November 15.
Kim Wildeboer, a Flight Centre colleague, described Lawry as “amazing.”
“He was… so friendly and bubbly and outgoing and adventurous, and generous and compassionate, so full of life and energy, so amazing to work with.”
She said he was “a quick learner, bright, gregarious and clever.”
Wildeboer said Lawry moved to Canada to be with a woman he met while travelling. He lived in Grande Prairie before coming to Edmonton.
READ MORE: No plans to join tobogganing bans, Edmonton officials say
Some cities in Canada and the United States have banned tobogganing over concerns about injuries and liability costs. In January, Edmonton officials said they had no plans to ban the activity.
Sledding enthusiasts recently protested a long-time ban in Hamilton, where a man won a court settlement after his toboggan hit a snow-covered drainpipe and he injured his spine.
More to come…
With files from Global News
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