A 15-year-old Naperville Central High School student was one of three people killed on Monday during an avalanche near the Swiss resort of Zermatt.
Aleksas Beiga was named in a GoFundMe campaign as one of the victims of the tragedy. A Naperville Central representative confirmed his death, declining to comment further out of respect to the family. Beiga was a member of the school’s swim team.
Avalanche causes death of Naperville student
The avalanche took place around 2 p.m. local time in an off-piste area of the Riffelberg, above the resort, according to a press release from authorities in the area. Rescuers recovered four people from the snow, three of whom had been killed, with the fourth flown to a hospital, having sustained serious injuries.
Reports first listed the three killed as a 15-year-old American, a man, and a woman. The fourth person recovered who survived was a 20-year-old Swiss man.
Strong winds and heavy snowfall in the region led local authorities to issue a major avalanche warning for the southern Swiss Alps. Multiple popular ski destinations, including Zermatt, are located in this area.
GoFundMe started for Aleksas’ family
The GoFundMe started in Aleksas’ name has received over 400 donations at this point, raising nearly $38,000. The creator of the GoFundMe, Neringa Mockus, called Aleksas a “beacon of kindness and intelligence.”
“The sudden loss of Aleksas has left an irreparable void in the hearts of his family and friends,” wrote Mockus. “The pain of his absence is immeasurable, and the grief weighs heavily on all who knew and loved him.”
Mockus said there will be updates posted on service details for Aleksas.
