Girl Dies on Family Vacation After Brother Heroically Tried to Save Her

A family ski vacation in the mountains of Utah ended in heartbreak when an 11-year-old Massachusetts girl was killed in an avalanche — and her own brother was the one who found her buried beneath the snow.

Madelyn Eitas, 11, of Rochester, Massachusetts, was skiing with her family near Brighton Ski Resort on Thursday afternoon when the slide hit around 12:30 p.m., according to the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake.

The trip was supposed to be a winter getaway. Instead, it became a nightmare.

Authorities say family members and more than 20 bystanders immediately began digging through the snow in a desperate race against time. In avalanche rescues, minutes matter. Survival rates drop sharply after the first 15 minutes of burial, according to snow safety experts.

Police credited Madelyn’s brother, Cameron Eitas, with locating her.

“Her brother heroically found her using an application to pinpoint her location,” officials said in a statement. Investigators did not specify what app was used, but many skiers rely on tracking or safety apps in the backcountry.

Once Madelyn was uncovered, first responders performed life-saving measures at the scene. She was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. She later died from her injuries.

“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family during this incredibly difficult time,” police said. “The communities here in Utah, as well as the family’s home community in Massachusetts, now have the important responsibility of rallying around the family to provide support, compassion, and comfort in the times ahead.”

Back home in Rochester, the loss has shaken the tight-knit town.

Madelyn was a sixth grader and a dedicated soccer player. She played on a travel team with Marine Soccer and was remembered by coaches and teammates as energetic, kind, and fiercely competitive on the field.

“Maddie was a bright and wonderful girl who left a lasting impact on her family, friends, coaches, teammates, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her,” the team said in a social media tribute. “This devastating news has deeply affected our entire community, and she will be deeply missed by all who knew her.”

The Rochester Police Department also released a statement urging residents to support the grieving family.

“There are simply no words that can fully capture the weight of this loss or the heartbreak her family is experiencing,” the department said. “A life so young, full of promise, kindness, and joy, taken far too soon.”

Madelyn had been skiing in terrain near the resort when the avalanche struck. While Utah’s Wasatch Range is famous for its powder snow and world-class skiing, it is also one of the most avalanche-prone regions in the country. Even experienced outdoor enthusiasts can be caught off guard when snowpack conditions shift.

Her death came just one day after another deadly avalanche in Utah.

On Wednesday afternoon, a father was killed while snowmobiling with his juvenile son in the Snake Creek area west of Midway, according to the Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office. The boy survived.

“Investigation determined that an adult male and his juvenile son were snowmobiling in the area when the avalanche occurred,” the sheriff’s office said. “The adult male was caught and buried in the slide.”

The back-to-back tragedies have renewed concerns about avalanche awareness and winter safety in the region, especially as families travel from across the country to enjoy Utah’s slopes.

Brighton Ski Resort has not publicly commented on the incident.

For one Massachusetts family, though, the headlines and safety warnings are secondary. They returned home without their daughter — a soccer-loving sixth grader whose winter vacation turned into a tragedy no family ever expects.