Boy, 13, Dies in ‘Devastating’ Snowboarding Accident on Oregon Mountain After He Was Reported Missing

A 13-year-old boy has died after he was injured in a snowboarding accident at a popular ski resort in Oregon, authorities said. 

The boy, who has not been identified publicly in respect for his family, is believed to have struck a tree while riding through a wooded section of Mount Bachelor on the morning of Wednesday, April 9, according to a statement posted on Facebook by the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

The teen was snowboarding down the mountain when he got separated from his mom and a family friend, Deputy Frederickson of the Deschutes County Search and Rescue tells PEOPLE. At first, his family didn’t know where he went, but an app on the teen’s phone helped locate the boy. 

“They went back to the spot where his phone – it wasn't moving,” says Frederickson, who responded to the scene. “And then a family friend ended up finding him at the base of a tree.”

The deputy says it’s unclear why the teen ended up off the trail.

“It was kind of a tight area of trees,” he says. “But it did have a trail through it.”

The local ski patrol brought the unresponsive teen to a clinic at the base of a mountain. After 40 minutes of medical treatment, emergency personnel could not save him. While the cause of the teen’s death is still being investigated, the medical examiner told Frederickson that the cause could have been related to trauma to the boy’s body. He was wearing a helmet during the accident. The Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

“It's always devastating when you have someone that's that young,” says Frederickson. 

Sheriff Kent van der Kamp of the sheriff’s office offered his condolences to the grieving family in the sheriff’s office press release. 

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 “This is a devastating loss for our community,” he said. “Our hearts go out to the boy’s family, friends, and everyone affected by this tragedy. We thank the ski patrol and first responders for their quick and compassionate efforts.”

The accident is the second deadly tragedy on Mount Bachelor in as many months. A Seattle man died in March, after he was found buried in the snow on the side of the mountain, authorities said.