Boy buried by snowbank collapse has died

WINNIPEG — A nine-year-old boy trapped under snow in the front yard of his Fort Richmond home last week has died.

The family is planning a funeral, a neighbour told Global News on Monday morning.

Neighbours said the boy died on the weekend. The boy went to Ryerson Elementary School, part of Pembina Trails School Division. The school division’s superintendent Ted Fransen told Global News that news of the boy’s death would be delivered by classroom teachers Monday. “We believe that it’s best if the teacher does that because they have formed that relationship with their own class, and there will be another colleague in the classroom to support the teacher,” he said.

The boy was playing in a snow fort on Wednesday when it collapsed, trapping him.

The Winnipeg Police Service isn’t investigating the death but says its thoughts are with the family, “I can only imagine what they’re going through,” said Constable Jason Michalyshen. “But I think it’s a reminder to all of us the tragic events that can take place to have the conversations with young people who are playing in the snow.”

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He had been on a ventilator in hospital since the accident.